Speed skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics

Speed skating
at the XI Olympic Winter Games

Pictogram for speed skating
VenueMakomanai Open Stadium
DatesFebruary 4-12
Competitors118 from 18 nations
1972 Soviet Union 4 kopeks stamp. Olympic Winter Games Sapporo.

Speed skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics, was held from 5 February to 14 February. Eight events were contested at Makomanai Open Stadium in Sapporo, Japan.[1] This was the first Olympics at which electronic times were recorded to the hundredeth of a second.

Medal summary

Medal table

 Rank  Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Netherlands (NED) 4 3 2 9
2  United States (USA) 2 1 1 4
3  West Germany (FRG) 2 0 0 2
4  Norway (NOR) 0 2 2 4
5  Soviet Union (URS) 0 1 2 3
6  Sweden (SWE) 0 1 1 2
Total 8 8 8 24

The Netherlands toppd the medal table, with four golds and nine overall, led by Ard Schenk's three gold medals.

Schenk led the individual medal table, winning each of the three longer distance events. The most successful female skater was the Netherlands's Stien Kaiser, who won one gold and one silver medal.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
500 metres
 Erhard Keller
West Germany (FRG) 		39.44  Hasse Börjes
Sweden (SWE) 		39.69  Valery Muratov
Soviet Union (URS) 		39.80
1500 metres
 Ard Schenk
Netherlands (NED) 		2:02.96  Roar Grønvold
Norway (NOR) 		2:04.26  Göran Claeson
Sweden (SWE) 		2:05.89
5000 metres
 Ard Schenk
Netherlands (NED) 		7:23.61  Roar Grønvold
Norway (NOR) 		7:28.18  Sten Stensen
Norway (NOR) 		7:33.39
10000 metres
 Ard Schenk
Netherlands (NED) 		15:01.35  Kees Verkerk
Netherlands (NED) 		15:04.70  Sten Stensen
Norway (NOR) 		15:07.08

Women's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
500 metres
 Anne Henning
United States (USA) 		43.33  Vera Krasnova
Soviet Union (URS) 		44.01  Lyudmila Titova
Soviet Union (URS) 		44.45
1000 metres
 Monika Pflug
West Germany (FRG) 		1:31.40  Atje Keulen-Deelstra
Netherlands (NED) 		1:31.61  Anne Henning
United States (USA) 		1:31.62
1500 metres
 Dianne Holum
United States (USA) 		2:20.85  Stien Kaiser
Netherlands (NED) 		2:21.05  Atje Keulen-Deelstra
Netherlands (NED) 		1:22.05
3000 metres
 Stien Kaiser
Netherlands (NED) 		4:52.14  Dianne Holum
United States (USA) 		4:58.67  Atje Keulen-Deelstra
Netherlands (NED) 		4:59.91

Records

Seven of the eight events had new Olympic records set, with only the men's 5000 metres record remaining unbroken.[2][3]

Event Date Team Time OR WR
Men's 500 metres 5 February  Erhard Keller (FRG) 39.44 OR
Men's 1500 metres 6 February  Ard Schenk (NED) 2:02.96 OR
Men's 10000 metres 7 February  Ard Schenk (NED) 15:01.35 OR
Women's 500 metres 10 February  Anne Henning (USA) 43.33 OR
Women's 1000 metres 11 February  Monika Pflug (FRG) 1:31.40 OR
Women's 1500 metres 9 February  Dianne Holum (USA) 2:20.85 OR
Women's 3000 metres 12 February  Stien Kaiser (NED) 4:52.14 OR

Participating NOCs

Eighteen nations competed in the speed skating events at Sapporo.

References

  1. ↑ "The XI Olympic Winter Games Sapporo 1972". Organizing Committee for the XIth Olympic Winter Games. LA84 Foundation. 1972. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ "ISU - Speed Skating - Records - World Records". International Skating Union. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ "ISU - Speed Skating - Records - Olympic Records". International Skating Union. Retrieved January 29, 2014.

Sports-Reference 1972 Olympics - Speed Skating