Speed skating at the 1976 Winter Olympics

Speed skating
at the XII Olympic Winter Games

Pictogram for speed skating
VenueEisschnellaufbahn
DatesFebruary 5-14
Competitors111 from 19 nations

Speed skating at the 1976 Winter Olympics, was held from 5 February to 14 February. Nine events were contested at Eisschnelllaufbahn Innsbruck.[1] This was the first Olympics which included the men's 1000 metres, and the first change to the men's program at the Olympics since the elimination of the all-round event in 1928.

Medal summary

Medal table

 Rank  Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Soviet Union (URS) 4 2 3 9
2  United States (USA) 2 2 2 6
3  Norway (NOR) 2 2 1 5
4  Netherlands (NED) 1 1 3 5
5  Canada (CAN) 0 1 0 1
5  East Germany (GDR) 0 1 0 1
Total 9 9 9 27

The Soviet Union led the medal table, with four gold and nine overall. The silver medal for East Germany's Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich was the country's first in speed skating.

Tatyana Averina led the individual medal table, winning a medal in all four women's events, two gold and two bronze. The most successful male skaters were Norway's Sten Stensen and the Netherlands' Piet Kleine, who both won one gold and one silver medal, splitting the long distance events.

Men's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
500 metres
 Yevgeny Kulikov
Soviet Union (URS) 		39.17  Valery Muratov
Soviet Union (URS) 		39.25  Dan Immerfall
United States (USA) 		39.54
1000 metres
 Peter Mueller
United States (USA) 		1:19.32  Jørn Didriksen
Norway (NOR) 		1:20.45  Valery Muratov
Soviet Union (URS) 		1:20.57
1500 metres
 Jan Egil Storholt
Norway (NOR) 		1:59.38  Yury Kondakov
Soviet Union (URS) 		1:59.97  Hans van Helden
Netherlands (NED) 		2:00.87
5000 metres
 Sten Stensen
Norway (NOR) 		7:24.48  Piet Kleine
Netherlands (NED) 		7:26.47  Hans van Helden
Netherlands (NED) 		7:26.54
10000 metres
 Piet Kleine
Netherlands (NED) 		14:50.59  Sten Stensen
Norway (NOR) 		14:53.30  Hans van Helden
Netherlands (NED) 		15:02.02

Women's events

Event Gold Silver Bronze
500 metres
 Sheila Young
United States (USA) 		42.76  Cathy Priestner
Canada (CAN) 		43.12  Tatyana Averina
Soviet Union (URS) 		43.17
1000 metres
 Tatyana Averina
Soviet Union (URS) 		1:28.43  Leah Poulos
United States (USA) 		1:28.57  Sheila Young
United States (USA) 		1:29.14
1500 metres
 Galina Stepanskaya
Soviet Union (URS) 		2:16.58  Sheila Young
United States (USA) 		2:17.06  Tatyana Averina
Soviet Union (URS) 		2:17.96
3000 metres
 Tatyana Averina
Soviet Union (URS) 		4:45.19  Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich
East Germany (GDR) 		4:45.23  Lisbeth Korsmo-Berg
Norway (NOR) 		4:45.24

Records

Eight out of the nine events, including the debuting men's 1000 metres, 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 10 February  Yevgeny Kulikov (URS) 39.17 OR
Men's 1000 metres 12 February  Peter Mueller (USA) 1:19.32 OR
Men's 1500 metres 13 February  Jan Egil Storholt (NOR) 1:59.38 OR
Men's 10000 metres 14 February  Piet Kleine (NED) 14:50.59 OR
Women's 500 metres 6 February  Sheila Young (USA) 42.76 OR
Women's 1000 metres 7 February  Tatyana Averina (URS) 1:28.43 OR
Women's 1500 metres 5 February  Galina Stepanskaya (URS) 2:16.58 OR
Women's 3000 metres 8 February  Tatyana Averina (URS) 4:45.19 OR

Participating NOCs

Nineteen nations competed in the speed skating events at Innsbruck.

References

  1. ↑ "Final Report - XII. Olympische Winterspiele Innsbruck 1976". Organizing Committee for the XIIth Winter Olympic Games 1976. LA84 Foundation. 1976. 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 1976 Olympics - Speed Skating