Speed skating is a sport that has been contested at the Winter Olympic Games since the inaugural Games in 1924.[1] Events held at the first Winter Olympics included the men's 500-metre, 1500-metre, 5000-metre, and 10,000-metre races. Points from the four races were combined and counted towards the all-round event, which was dropped following the 1924 Olympics. Speed skating events for women were first held at the 1932 Winter Olympics, as a demonstration sport.[2][3] The first official women's events were held in 1960 in the 500-metre, 1000-metre, 1500-metre, and 3000-metre distances. The men's 1000-metre event was added in 1976 and the women's 5000-metre event was added in 1988. All 10 events have been held at every Olympic Games since, and a team pursuit event for both genders was added in 2006, for a total of 12 medal events.[4]
German Claudia Pechstein has won nine medals—five gold, two silver, and two bronze—more than any other speed skater at the Olympics. She is also one of four Winter Olympians to win medals at five straight Olympics.[5] Lidiya Skoblikova, who represented the Soviet Union, is one of two female Winter Olympians to win six gold medals (cross-country skier Lyubov Yegorova is the other).[5] At the 1924 Winter Olympics, Finn Clas Thunberg became the first athlete to win two or more gold medals; in 1928, he became the first speed skater to successfully defend an Olympic title. At the 1964 Games, Skoblikova won four gold medals and became the first athlete to win a gold in every available event. The feat was repeated in 1980 by American Eric Heiden, who won five golds, the most that any Winter Olympian has won at one edition of the Games.[3] In 2006, Canadian Cindy Klassen became the only other speed skater, and one of seven Winter Olympians, to win five medals—one gold, two silver, two bronze—at a single edition of the Games.[5] Pechstein and American Bonnie Blair are the only speed skaters to win gold in the same event three times in a row. Andrea Schöne, who won a silver medal in 1976, is the youngest female athlete in an individual event to win a medal.[3] German Christa Rothenburger and Canadian Clara Hughes are the only medal-winning speed skaters who have also won a medal at the Summer Olympic Games, having won medals in cycling.[3]
Norwegian speed skaters have won a combined 79 medals, while the Americans have won a combined 28 gold medals, more than any other nation. As of the 2006 Winter Olympics, 152 gold medals, 155 silver medals and 148 bronze medals have been awarded since 1924 and have been won by speed skaters from 22 National Olympic Committees.
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Men | |
Women | |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1924 Chamonix details |
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1928 St. Moritz details |
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1932 Lake Placid details |
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1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen details |
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1948 St. Moritz details |
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None awarded |
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1952 Oslo details |
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1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo details |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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None awarded |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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None awarded |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1924 Chamonix details |
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1928 St. Moritz details |
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1932 Lake Placid details |
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1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen details |
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1948 St. Moritz details |
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1952 Oslo details |
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1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo details |
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None awarded | ![]() |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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None awarded | ![]() |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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None awarded |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1924 Chamonix details |
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1928 St. Moritz details |
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1932 Lake Placid details |
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1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen details |
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1948 St. Moritz details |
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1952 Oslo details |
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1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo details |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1924 Chamonix details |
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1928 St. Moritz details |
Cancelled halfway through the running of the event due to poor ice conditions.[6] | ||
1932 Lake Placid details |
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1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen details |
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1948 St. Moritz details |
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1952 Oslo details |
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1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo details |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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2006 Turin details |
![]() Matteo Anesi Stefano Donagrandi Enrico Fabris Ippolito Sanfratello |
![]() Arne Dankers Steven Elm Denny Morrison Jason Parker Justin Warsylewicz |
![]() Sven Kramer Rintje Ritsma Mark Tuitert Carl Verheijen Erben Wennemars |
2010 Vancouver details |
![]() Mathieu Giroux Lucas Makowsky Denny Morrison |
![]() Brian Hansen Chad Hedrick Jonathan Kuck Trevor Marsicano |
![]() Jan Blokhuijsen Sven Kramer Simon Kuipers Mark Tuitert |
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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None awarded |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1960 Squaw Valley details |
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1964 Innsbruck details |
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None awarded |
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1968 Grenoble details |
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1972 Sapporo details |
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1976 Innsbruck details |
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1980 Lake Placid details |
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1984 Sarajevo details |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1988 Calgary details |
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1992 Albertville details |
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1994 Lillehammer details |
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1998 Nagano details |
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2002 Salt Lake City details |
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2006 Turin details |
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2010 Vancouver details |
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Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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2006 Turin details |
![]() Daniela Anschütz-Thoms Anni Friesinger Lucille Opitz Claudia Pechstein Sabine Völker |
![]() Kristina Groves Clara Hughes Cindy Klassen Christine Nesbitt Shannon Rempel |
![]() Yekaterina Abramova Varvara Barysheva Galina Likhachova Yekaterina Lobysheva Svetlana Vysokova |
2010 Vancouver details |
![]() Daniela Anschütz-Thoms Stephanie Beckert Anni Friesinger-Postma Katrin Mattscherodt |
![]() Masako Hozumi Nao Kodaira Maki Tabata |
![]() Katarzyna Bachleda-Curuś Katarzyna Woźniak Luiza Złotkowska |
Games | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1924 Chamonix details |
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Athlete | Nation | Olympics | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
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Claudia Pechstein | ![]() |
1992–2006 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
Karin Enke | ![]() |
1980–1988 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
Gunda Niemann | ![]() |
1988–1998 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
Clas Thunberg | ![]() |
1924–1928 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
Ivar Ballangrud | ![]() |
1928–1936 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
Andrea Schöne | ![]() |
1976–1988 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
Lidiya Skoblikova | ![]() |
1960–1968 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
Bonnie Blair | ![]() |
1984–1994 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
Cindy Klassen | ![]() |
2002–2006 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
Rintje Ritsma | ![]() |
1992–2006 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Roald Larsen | ![]() |
1924–1928 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Eric Heiden | ![]() |
1976–1980 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Johann Olav Koss | ![]() |
1992–1994 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
Yevgeny Grishin | ![]() |
1956–1968 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
Anni Friesinger-Postma | ![]() |
1998–2010 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
Knut Johannesen | ![]() |
1956–1964 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
Country | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 94 | 98 | 02 | 06 | 10 | Total |
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– | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 6 |
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1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
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– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | ||
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– | – | 5 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 3 | – | – | 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 33 |
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– | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||||
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– | – | – | – | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
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8 | 4 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 24 |
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– | – | – | – | 11 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 38 | |||||||||||
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– | 2 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
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– | – | 1 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 29 | |||||||||||||||
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1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 3 | |||||||||||||||
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– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | 3 |
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– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | 15 | ||
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– | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||
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– | – | – | 3 | – | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 82 | ||
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1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | |||||||||||||
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7 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 | – | 5 | 5 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | 80 |
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– | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 |
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5 | – | – | 3 | 2 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||
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– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 5 | 7 | |||||
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7 | 12 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 60 | ||||||||||||
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– | – | – | – | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16 |
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1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | – | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 8 | – | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 67 |
Year | 24 | 28 | 32 | 36 | 48 | 52 | 56 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 72 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 94 | 98 | 02 | 06 | 10 | – |
These are events in which athletes from one NOC won all three medals.
Games | Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
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1964 Innsbruck | Men's 5000 metres | ![]() |
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1964 Innsbruck | Women's 500 metres | ![]() |
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1984 Sarajevo | Women's 3000 metres | ![]() |
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1992 Albertville | Women's 5000 metres | ![]() |
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1998 Nagano | Men's 10000 metres | ![]() |
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1998 Nagano | Women's 3000 metres | ![]() |
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