Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track". The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of competitive ice sports, refers to long track as "speed skating" and short track as "short track skating".
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Sarajevo '84, was a winter multi-sport event held between 8 and 19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. It was the first Winter Olympic Games held in a Slavic language-speaking country, as well as the only Winter Olympics held in a communist country before the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. It was the second consecutive Olympic Games to be so held, after the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union.
The 1st 1983 World Championships in Athletics were run under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations and were held at the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki, Finland between 7 and 14 August 1983.
The Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship was an IAAF Gold Label international men's marathon race held in Fukuoka, Japan since 1947. It was usually held on the first Sunday in December, and had its 75th and final race in 2021.
The 2nd European Athletics Championships was a continental athletics competition for European athletes which was held in two places in 1938. The men's event took place in Paris, France between 3–5 September while the women's events were in Vienna, Austria on 17 and 18 September. A total of 32 events were contested at the two competitions, comprising 23 events for men and 9 for women. This was the first time that events for women were held and the only occasion on which the competition was held in two separate locations.
Marja-Liisa Kirvesniemi is a Finnish former cross-country skier.
Aki Tapani Karvonen is a Finnish former cross-country skier who competed during the 1980s. He won three medals at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, with a silver in the 15 km, and two bronze medals in 50 km and the 4 × 10 km relay, respectively.
Veikko Leo Karvonen was a Finnish long-distance runner who mainly competed in the marathon. He won the bronze medal in the marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics. At the 1954 European Championships he won the gold medal in the marathon and the following year won the Boston Marathon.
The men's marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia was held on Saturday December 1, 1956. There were 46 participants from 23 nations, with 13 runners not completing the race. The maximum number of athletes per nation had been set at 3 since the 1930 Olympic Congress. The event was won by Alain Mimoun of France, the nation's first Olympic marathon victory since 1928 and third overall. Yugoslavia took its first Olympic marathon medal with Franjo Mihalić's silver. Finland returned to the podium in the event for the first time since 1932 as Veikko Karvonen took bronze.
The men's marathon at the 1932 Summer Olympics took place on August 7. It started and finished at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Twenty-eight athletes from 14 nations competed. The 1930 Olympic Congress in Berlin had reduced the limit from 6 athletes per NOC to 3 athletes. The event was won by Juan Carlos Zabala of Argentina, the nation's first Olympic marathon medal. Great Britain also earned its first Olympic marathon medal with Sam Ferris's silver, while Finland made the marathon podium for a fourth consecutive Games as Armas Toivonen won bronze. Finns charged Swedish officials, who were in charge of the international athletics federation at the time, with trying to eliminate their biggest competitor.
The 1986 Ibero-American Championships was an athletics competition which was held at the Estadio Pedro Marrero in Havana, Cuba from 27 to 28 September 1986. A total of 36 events, comprising 21 men's and 15 women's events, were contested by sixteen countries. It was the second edition of the Ibero-American Championships, and the first to be held in Latin America. The Chilean city of Valparaíso was initially chosen to host the event, but the competition was moved after organisation difficulties. High temperatures at the venue affected athletic performances, particularly in the longer distance events.
The 1992 Ibero-American Championships in Athletics was the fifth edition of the international athletics competition between Ibero-American nations which was held at the Estadio Olímpico de La Cartuja in Seville, Spain from 17–19 July. A total of 41 track and field events were contested and 14 new championship records were set.
In India, the sport of athletics was introduced during the period of the British Raj. The sport is governed at national level by the Athletics Federation of India, which was formed in 1946. Despite its large population, few Indian athletes have won a medal in a global or major championship. This began to change in the 21st century, when Indians started taking greater interest in athletics more generally and improved facilities for the sport began to be built at a local level. At a continental level, it has been among the more successful Asian nations, though some distance behind China and Japan.
The 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships was the 41st edition of the global championships in cross country running, organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It was held in Guiyang, China on 28 March. It was the first time that the event was held in China, and the third occasion it took place in Asia. Senior and junior races were held for men and women, with the four races having both a team and individual element.
The 2003 European Winter Throwing Challenge was held on 1 and 2 March at Stadio Polivalente Gioia Tauro in Gioia Tauro, Italy. It was the third edition of the athletics competition for throwing events organised by the European Athletics Association. A total of 137 athletes from 24 countries entered the competition.
The African Marathon Championships was a biennial marathon running competition between athletes from Africa. A short-lived event, it was first staged in 1994 and held for a second and final time in 1996. The inaugural event was held on 4 December in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and the ultimate event on 1 December in Soweto, South Africa. The 1996 race was incorporated into the Soweto Marathon.
The 1961 Nordic Athletics Championships was the inaugural edition of the international athletics competition between Nordic countries and was held in Oslo, Norway. It consisted of 34 individual athletics events, 22 for men and 12 for women. This covered a track and field programme plus a men's marathon race.
The 1963 Nordic Athletics Championships was the second edition of the international athletics competition between Nordic countries and was held in Gothenburg, Sweden. It consisted of 34 individual athletics events, 22 for men and 12 for women. This covered a track and field programme plus a men's marathon race.
The 1965 Nordic Athletics Championships was the third and final edition of the international athletics competition between Nordic countries and was held in Helsinki, Finland. It consisted of 34 individual athletics events, 22 for men and 12 for women. This covered a track and field programme plus a men's marathon race.
