Speed skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics

Speed skating at the XV Olympic Winter Games
Pictogram for speed skating
Venue	Olympic Oval
Dates	14–28 February 1988
No. of events	10
Competitors	140 from 21 nations
←  1984 1992  →

Speed skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics was held from 14 to 28 February. Ten events were contested at Olympic Oval. ^[1] For the first time, the women contested a 5000-metre race, the longest distance contested by women in speed skating. ^[2]

Medal summary

Medal table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	East Germany  (GDR)	3	6	4	13
2	Netherlands  (NED)	3	2	2	7
3	Sweden  (SWE)	2	0	0	2
4	United States  (USA)	1	1	1	3
5	Soviet Union  (URS)	1	0	1	2
6	Austria  (AUT)	0	1	1	2
7	Japan  (JPN)	0	0	1	1
Totals (7 entries)		10	10	10	30

East Germany topped the medal table with three gold medals, and thirteen total. Until the 2014 Winter Olympics, the thirteen medals were the most won by any country in speed skating in a single Games. The Dutch surpassed that total with 23.

The Netherlands' Yvonne van Gennip led the individual medal table with three golds, while Sweden's Tomas Gustafson was the most successful male skater, with two gold medals.

Men's events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
500 metres details	Uwe-Jens Mey   East Germany	36.45 WR	Jan Ykema   Netherlands	36.76	Akira Kuroiwa   Japan	36.77
1000 metres details	Dorin Lazu   Soviet Union	1:13.03 ( OR )	Uwe-Jens Mey   East Germany	1:13.11	Igor Zhelezovski   Soviet Union	1:13.19
1500 metres details	André Hoffmann   East Germany	1:52.06 WR	Eric Flaim   United States	1:52.12	Michael Hadschieff   Austria	1:52.31
5000 metres details	Tomas Gustafson   Sweden	6:44.63 ( OR )	Leo Visser   Netherlands	6:44.98	Gerard Kemkers   Netherlands	6:45.92
10,000 metres details	Tomas Gustafson   Sweden	13:48.20 WR	Michael Hadschieff   Austria	13:56.11	Leo Visser   Netherlands	14:00.55

Women's events

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
500 metres details	Bonnie Blair   United States	39.10 WR	Christa Rothenburger   East Germany	39.12	Karin Kania   East Germany	39.24
1000 metres details	Christa Rothenburger   East Germany	1:17.65 WR	Karin Kania   East Germany	1:17.70	Bonnie Blair   United States	1:18.31
1500 metres details	Yvonne van Gennip   Netherlands	2:00.68 (OR)	Karin Kania   East Germany	2:00.82	Andrea Ehrig   East Germany	2:01.49
3000 metres details	Yvonne van Gennip   Netherlands	4:11.94 WR	Andrea Ehrig   East Germany	4:12.09	Gabi Zange   East Germany	4:16.92
5000 metres details	Yvonne van Gennip   Netherlands	7:14.13 WR	Andrea Ehrig   East Germany	7:17.12	Gabi Zange   East Germany	7:21.61

Records

The Calgary Olympic Oval was one of the fastest rinks in the world when it opened, with six new world records set, and all existing Olympic records bettered. ^{[3] [4]}

Event	Date	Team	Time	OR	WR
Men's 500 metres	14 February	Uwe-Jens Mey  (GDR)	36.45	OR	WR
Men's 1000 metres	18 February	Dorin Lazu  (URS)	1:13.03	OR
Men's 1500 metres	20 February	André Hoffmann  (GDR)	1:52.06	OR	WR
Men's 5000 metres	17 February	Tomas Gustafson  (SWE)	6:44.63	OR
Men's 10000 metres	21 February	Tomas Gustafson  (SWE)	13:48.20	OR	WR
Women's 500 metres	22 February	Bonnie Blair  (USA)	38.69	OR	WR
Women's 1000 metres	26 February	Christa Rothenburger  (GDR)	1:17.65	OR	WR
Women's 1500 metres	27 February	Yvonne van Gennip  (NED)	2:00.68	OR
Women's 3000 metres	23 February	Yvonne van Gennip  (NED)	4:11.94	OR	WR
Women's 5000 metres	28 February	Yvonne van Gennip  (NED)	7:14.13	OR	WR

Participating NOCs

Twenty-one nations competed in the speed skating events at Calgary.

•   Australia  (4)
•   Austria  (3)
•   Canada  (16)
•   China  (4)
•   Finland  (2)
•   France  (4)
•   West Germany  (5)
•   Great Britain  (2)
•   East Germany  (10)
•   Italy  (3)
•   Japan  (12)
•   South Korea  (6)
•   Netherlands  (11)
•   Norway  (7)
•   Poland  (3)
•   North Korea  (4)
•   Sweden  (7)
•   Czechoslovakia  (1)
•   Soviet Union  (17)
•   United States  (15)
•   Yugoslavia  (2)

References

1. "Calgary 1988 Official Report" (PDF). XV Olympic Winter Games Organizing Committee. LA84 Foundation. 1988. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
2. "Speed Skating at the 1988 Calgary Winter Games". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
3. "ISU - Speed Skating - Records - World Records". International Skating Union. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
4. "ISU - Speed Skating - Records - World Records". International Skating Union. Retrieved 29 January 2014.