Göthe Hedlund

Göthe Hedlund started in his first international tournaments before World War I. When international skating resumed in 1946, he emerged as one of the best in the world, having been able to continue training in neutral Sweden. He won the unofficial European Championships that year, placing second in the next two seasons. In these tournaments, his best distance was the 5,000 m, and he was one of the favourites for that distance at the 1948 Olympics. He did not disappoint, finishing third and winning Sweden’s first Olympic speed skating medal. Hedlund continued to skate until the 1952 Games, racing with the best internationally, but without winning any medals. In national championships, he won 12 titles: 1500 m (1947, 1949), 3000m (1947, 1949), 5000 m (1939, 1947, 1949) and 10,000 m (1939, 1944-1945, 1949 and 1950). Göthe Hedlund’s daughter Ylva later followed in her father’s footsteps, competing in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics.

Personal Bests: 500 – 44.5 (1951); 1500 – 2:18.4 (1948); 5000 – 8:18.7 (1951); 10000 – 17:23.9 (1949).