Speed skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics – Men's 500 metres

The 500 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1952 Winter Olympics programme. The competition was held on Saturday, 16 February 1952, at 3 p.m. Forty-one speed skaters from 14 nations competed.[1]

Men's 500 metres speed skating
at the VI Olympic Winter Games
Refer to caption
Pictogram for speed skating
VenueBislett Stadium
Date16 February 1952
Competitors49 from 14 nations
Winning time43.2
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Ken Henry  United States
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Don McDermott  United States
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Gordon Audley  Canada
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Arne Johansen  Norway
← 1948
1956 →

Medalists

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Gold Silver Bronze
Ken Henry
  United States
Don McDermott
  United States
Gordon Audley
  Canada
Arne Johansen
  Norway

Records

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These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1952 Winter Olympics.

World record 41.2(*)   Yuri Sergeev Medeo (URS) 19 January 1952
Olympic record 43.1   Finn Helgesen St. Moritz (SUI) 31 January 1948

(*) The record was set in a high altitude venue (more than 1000 metres above sea level) and on naturally frozen ice.

Results

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The current world record holder Yuri Sergeev did not compete as the Soviet Union did not participate in the Oslo Games, sending observers instead to prepare for the 1956 Winter Olympics.

Place Speed skater Time
1   Ken Henry (USA) 43.2
2   Don McDermott (USA) 43.9
3   Gordon Audley (CAN) 44.0
  Arne Johansen (NOR) 44.0
5   Finn Helgesen (NOR) 44.0
6   Hroar Elvenes (NOR) 44.1
  Kiyotaka Takabayashi (JPN) 44.1
8   Gerard Maarse (NED) 44.2
  Toivo Salonen (FIN) 44.2
10   Sigmund Søfteland (NOR) 44.3
11   Johnny Werket (USA) 44.5
12   Masanori Aoki (JPN) 44.8
  Mats Bolmstedt (SWE) 44.8
  Frank Stack (CAN) 44.8
15   Robert Fitzgerald (USA) 44.9
  Sukenobu Kudo (JPN) 44.9
  Craig MacKay (CAN) 44.9
18   Tsuneo Sato (JPN) 45.2
19   Cockie van der Elst (NED) 45.3
  Wim van der Voort (NED) 45.3
21   Norman Holwell (GBR) 45.4
  Kalevi Laitinen (FIN) 45.4
23   Gunnar Ström (SWE) 45.6
24   Kauko Salomaa (FIN) 45.7
25   Stig Lindberg (SWE) 45.9
  Franz Offenberger (AUT) 45.9
  Enrico Musolino (ITA) 45.9
28   Ferenc Lőrincz (HUN) 46.1
29   Colin Hickey (AUS) 46.2
30   Ralf Olin (CAN) 46.5
31   Bengt Malmsten (SWE) 46.6
32   József Merényi (HUN) 46.7
33   Theo Meding (GER) 46.8
34   Bill Jones (GBR) 46.9
35   Robert Laboubée (BEL) 47.2
36   Konrad Pecher (AUT) 47.3
37   Arthur Mannsbarth (AUT) 47.6
38   Guido Citterio (ITA) 48.2
39   Jean Massez (BEL) 49.2
  Jan Charisius (NED) DNF
  Lassi Parkkinen (FIN) DNF

Finn Helgesen did not receive a bronze medal because he was paired up with Arne Johansen and finished behind his opponent.

Jan Charisius and Lassi Parkkinen gave up after a fall.

References

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  1. ^ "Speed Skating at the 1952 Oslo Winter Games: Men's 500 metres". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
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