title: Speed skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics
text: # Speed skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics
  
  At the 1960 Winter Olympics, eight speed skating events were contested in Squaw Valley, California. For the first time in Olympic history, women participated in the Olympic speed skating events after the USOC's proposal to include the women's events was approved by the IOC. The competitions were held from Saturday, February 20, to Tuesday, February 23, 1960 (women), and from Wednesday, February 24, to Saturday, February 27, 1960 (men).
  
  ## Medal summary
  
  ### Men
  
  | Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 500 metres details | Yevgeny Grishin Soviet Union | 40.2 =WR | Bill Disney United States | 40.3 | Rafayel Grach Soviet Union | 40.4 |
  | 1500 metres details | Roald Aas Norway Yevgeny Grishin Soviet Union | 2:10.4 | not awarded as there was a tie for gold | | Boris Stenin Soviet Union | 2:11.5 |
  | 5000 metres details | Viktor Kosichkin Soviet Union | 7:51.3 | Knut Johannesen Norway | 8:00.8 | Jan Pesman Netherlands | 8:05.1 |
  | 10,000 metres details | Knut Johannesen Norway | 15:46.6 WR | Viktor Kosichkin Soviet Union | 15:49.2 | Kjell Bäckman Sweden | 16:14.2 |
  
  ### Women
  
  | Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 500 metres details | Helga Haase United Team of Germany | 45.9 | Natalya Donchenko Soviet Union | 46.0 | Jeanne Ashworth United States | 46.1 |
  | 1000 metres details | Klara Guseva Soviet Union | 1:34.1 | Helga Haase United Team of Germany | 1:34.3 | Tamara Rylova Soviet Union | 1:34.8 |
  | 1500 metres details | Lidiya Skoblikova Soviet Union | 2:25.2 WR | Elwira Seroczyńska Poland | 2:25.7 | Helena Pilejczyk Poland | 2:27.1 |
  | 3000 metres details | Lidiya Skoblikova Soviet Union | 5:14.3 | Valentina Stenina Soviet Union | 5:16.9 | Eevi Huttunen Finland | 5:21.0 |
  
  ## Participating nations
  
  104 Athletes from seventeen nations competed in the speed skating events at Squaw Valley. Out of 249 entries, 8 did not finish and 1 got disqualified.
  
  * Australia (2men)
  * Austria (2m)
  * Canada (3m + 2w)
  * Denmark (1m)
  * Finland (5m + 2w)
  * France (2m + 1w)
  * United Team of Germany (7m + 5w)
  * Great Britain (2m)
  * Italy (3m)
  * Japan (5m + 3w)
  * South Korea (3m + 2w)
  * Netherlands (5m)
  * Norway (7m)
  * Poland (2w)
  * Soviet Union (11m + 5w)
  * Sweden (7m + 2w)
  * United States (9m + 6w)
  
  ## Medal table
  
  | Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | 1 | Soviet Union | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
  | 2 | Norway | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
  | 3 | United Team of Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
  | 4 | Poland | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
  | 4 | United States | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
  | 6 | Finland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
  | 6 | Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
  | 6 | Sweden | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
  | Totals (8 entries) | Totals (8 entries) | 9 | 7 | 8 | 24 |
  