SQUAW VALLEY 1960 "Speed Skating"

The U.S.S.R., which had dominated the speed skating
competition in the 1956 Games at Cortina, continued to
display great power in the events at Squaw Valley.
Russia's two greatest stars in speed skating were Lidija
Skoblikova and Eugeni Grishin.
Miss Skoblikova won gold medals in both the 1500 and
3000 meter races and finished fourth in the 1000 meter
event. She set a world record of 2:25.2 in the 1500 meter
race. In winning the latter race, Miss Skoblikova finished
only five-tenths of a second faster than Elwira Seroczynska
of Poland.
The Russian girls were particularly dominant, winning
three first places in the four ladies' speed skating races
They also captured six of the 12 Olympic medals in the
four races.
Grishin successfully defended the 500 meter title he
won at Cortina in 1956. He tied the world record of 40.2
at Squaw Valley, barely edging William D Disney of the
United States. Disney had a 40.3 clocking Grishin also
tied for first in the 1500 meter race. He was clocked in
2:10.4, the same as Roald Edgar Aas of Norway, who
shared the Olympic 1500 meter crown.
Another U.S.S.R. representative who skated brilliantly
at Squaw Valley was Viktor Kosichkin, who placed first
in the 5000 meter race and second in the 10,000 meter
event.

Perhaps the greatest speed skating star of the Games
was Knut Johannesen of Norway, who finished second
to Kosichkin at 5000 meters and set an unbelievable new
world record in the 10,000 meter race. He was clocked in
15:46.6 in winning the 10,000 to become the first skater
in history to break 16 minutes for the distance. At that,
Kosichkin finished a close second with a 15:49.2 clocking.
The Norwegian men skaters performed excellently at
Squaw Valley, actually threatening the U.S.S.R. domination
The Russians won three gold medals to Norway's
two, and captured six medals totally to Norway's three.
The competitions were run off excellently, with Sven
Laftman of Sweden serving as referee. He was assisted
by Del Lamb of the United States. Dick McCarter and
Gilbert Van Willigen, both of the United States, were
chief starter and assistant starter, respectively. Bill Keith,
the Organizing Committee's director of skating events,
and his staff also deserve considerable credit.
Weather conditions were generally excellent for the
speed skating events, with cold, clear days and very little
wind prevailing. Winds did hamper the athletes during
the running of the women's 1500 meter race and the
men's 1500 meter and 5000 meter races. A testimony to
the Squaw Valley oval is the fact that Miss Skoblikova
of Russia was able to set a world record at 1500 meters
despite the fact that there was a 13 mile-an-hour wind
during the race.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Speed
• Skating
• Squaw
• Valley
• 1960

[HattieLovesCattie]

I got to meet Knut Johannsen in 1987 in Oslo.I was there for a sports event and so was he.We talked some and I had told him I met Eric Heiden at a bike race in Calif.He asked what is up with Eric and I said he is in med school which he was at that time.No one will ever beat Eric's five golds in one Winter Games.I could tell how impressed he was with Eric.