Speed skating
at the XI Olympic Winter Games
Refer to caption
Pictogram for speed skating
VenueMakomanai Open Stadium
Date4–12 February 1972
No. of events8
Competitors118 from 18 nations
← 1968
1976 →
Speed skating at the
1972 Winter Olympics
500 mmenwomen
1000 mwomen
1500 mmenwomen
3000 mwomen
5000 mmen
10,000 mmen
1972 Soviet Union 4 kopeks stamp. Olympic Winter Games Sapporo.

Speed skating at the 1972 Winter Olympics, was held from 4 to 12 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 hundredth of a second.[2]

Medal summary

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Netherlands (NED)4329
2 United States (USA)2114
3 West Germany (FRG)2002
4 Norway (NOR)0224
5 Soviet Union (URS)0123
6 Sweden (SWE)0112
Totals (6 entries)88824

The Netherlands topped 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
details 		Erhard Keller
 West Germany		 39.44
(OR) 		Hasse Börjes
 Sweden		 39.69 Valery Muratov
 Soviet Union		 39.80
1500 metres
details 		Ard Schenk
 Netherlands		 2:02.96
(OR) 		Roar Grønvold
 Norway		 2:04.26 Göran Claeson
 Sweden		 2:05.89
5000 metres
details 		Ard Schenk
 Netherlands		 7:23.61 Roar Grønvold
 Norway		 7:28.18 Sten Stensen
 Norway		 7:33.39
10,000 metres
details 		Ard Schenk
 Netherlands		 15:01.35
(OR) 		Kees Verkerk
 Netherlands		 15:04.70 Sten Stensen
 Norway		 15:07.08

Women's events

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

Records

Seven of the eight events had new Olympic records set, with only the men's 5000 metres record remaining unbroken.[3][4]

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 10,000 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" (PDF). Organizing Committee for the XIth Olympic Winter Games. LA84 Foundation. 1972. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Speed Skating at the 1972 Sapporo Winter Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  3. ^ "ISU - Speed Skating - Records - World Records". International Skating Union. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  4. ^ "ISU - Speed Skating - Records - Olympic Records". International Skating Union. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
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