Johnny Cronshey

Probably one of the best long-track speed skaters Britain has even known, Johnny Cronshey appeared in two Olympic Games, 1948 and 1956, and should have appeared in a third in 1952. Regularly at loggerheads with skating authorities, he went to Oslo with the British team in 1952, but returned home without competing after a dispute with the National Skating Association over expenses.

Cronshey started speed skating following a chance meeting with some Canadians during World, War II. A carpenter by trade, he competed in his first all-round World Championships at Oslo in 1947 and finished ninth. He improved to seventh in 1949 and, at Davos in 1951, finished second in the 5,000 metres, and third in both the 500 and 10,000 metres to finish second overall behind the legendary Norwegian Hjalmar Andersen. Cronshey’s silver medal was the first, and as of the 2018 World Long-track Championships only, medal won by a British skater. His best finish in the European Championships was sixth in 1949. After holding many British titles, and records, in all four recognised distances at the time, Cronshey bowed out of international competition at the 1960 Worlds, where he failed to qualify for final 16 and was classified 34th.

Personal Bests: 500 – 42.9 (1956); 1500 – 2:15.0 (1956); 5000 – 8:10.1 (1956); 10000 – 17:05.6 (1956).