John Tipper

At the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics, speed skaters John Tipper and his sister Pat became the first brother and sister to compete for Britain at the same Winter Olympics since 1948. Pat also made history as the first British speed skater ever to compete at the Olympics. John Tipper gained selection for the Grenoble Games after a series of impressive results across Europe in the months leading up to the Olympics. Just two months before going to Grenoble, Tipper set a British record in finishing third in a 500-metre race at Insell, West Germany, won in a world record-equalling time by the future double Olympic gold medallist Erhard Keller. At the Olympics, Tipper was the highest placed of the three Britons in both the 500 and 1,500 metres.

A motor mechanic from Southgate, London, Tipper lost by inches to Barrie Casserley in the half mile at the 1965 British Indoor Championships. The year after his Olympic appearance, Tipper beat the defending champion Tony Bullen to win Amateur Speed Skating Championship of Britain over one and a half miles at Bury Fen, Cambridgeshire.

Personal Bests: 500 – 40.53 (1972); 1000 – 1:22.8 (1972); 1500 – 2:08.4 (1970); 5000 – 8:09.1 (1970).