
The USSR, 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 USSR representative who skated brilliantly at Squaw Valley was Viktor Kosichkin, who placed first in the 5000 meter race and second in the 10000 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 10000 meter race. He was clocked in 15:46.6 in winning the 10000 to <b>...</b>
Speed
Skating
Squaw
Valley
1960