Speed skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics – Women's 500 metres

The women's 500 metres speed skating event was part of the speed skating at the 1960 Winter Olympics programme. It was the first appearance of a women's event in Olympic speed skating. The competition was held on the Squaw Valley Olympic Skating Rink and for the first time at the Olympics on artificially frozen ice. It was held on Saturday, February 20, 1960. Twenty-three speed skaters from ten nations competed.[1]

Women's 500 metres speed skating
at the VIII Olympic Winter Games
Refer to caption
Pictogram for speed skating
VenueSquaw Valley Olympic Skating Rink
Date20 February 1960
Competitors23 from 10 nations
Winning time45.9 OR
Medalists
1st place, gold medalist(s) Helga Haase  United Team of Germany
2nd place, silver medalist(s) Natalya Donchenko  Soviet Union
3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Jeanne Ashworth  United States
1964 →

Medalists

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Gold Silver Bronze
Helga Haase
  United Team of Germany
Natalya Donchenko
  Soviet Union
Jeanne Ashworth
  United States

Records

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These were the standing world and Olympic records (in seconds) prior to the 1960 Winter Olympics.

World Record 45.6(*)   Tamara Rylova Medeo (URS) January 11, 1955
Olympic Record -

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

Helga Haase set the first Olympic record with 45.9 seconds.

Results

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Helga Haase became the first ever female Olympic champion in speed skating.

Place Speed skater Time
1   Helga Haase (EUA) 45.9 OR
2   Natalya Donchenko (URS) 46.0
3   Jeanne Ashworth (USA) 46.1
4   Tamara Rylova (URS) 46.2
5   Hatsue Takamizawa (JPN) 46.6
6   Klara Guseva (URS) 46.8
  Elwira Seroczyńska (POL) 46.8
8   Fumie Hama (JPN) 47.4
9   Doreen Ryan (CAN) 47.7
10   Kathy Mulholland (USA) 47.9
11   Iris Sihvonen (FIN) 48.1
12   Helena Pilejczyk (POL) 48.2
13   Françoise Lucas (FRA) 48.6
14   Eevi Huttunen (FIN) 48.6
15   Christina Scherling (SWE) 48.7
16   Jeanne Omelenchuk (USA) 49.3
17   Margaret Robb (CAN) 50.0
18   Sigrit Behrenz (EUA) 50.2
19   Yoshiko Takano (JPN) 50.3
20   Natascha Liebknecht (EUA) 51.4
21   Kim Gyeong-hoe (KOR) 53.2
22   Han Hye-ja (KOR) 53.8
  Elsa Einarsson (SWE) DNF

References

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  1. ^ "Speed Skating at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games: Women's 500 metres". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
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