Gene Sandvig

Gene Sandvig was a top athlete at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he played football as a fullback, graduating in 1957. As a speed skater Sandvig was North American all-around champion in 1958. He later served on the administrative side of the sport, as a delegate to the US Olympic Congress for 10 years, as general manager of the 1976 Olympic speed skating, and as a member of the Technical Committee of the ISU. He served as an international speed skating referee at the 1980 and 1984 Winter Olympics. After college, he taught and coached in the Minneapolis school system for 12 years, but later joined the Advance Machine Company, moving up to the position of national service manager. Both Sandvig’s sister Connie and his daughter Susan competed in speed skating at the national level, with Connie’s daughter, Amy Peterson, competing in four Winter Olympics in short-track.

Personal Bests: 500 – 42.8 (1960); 1500 – 2:16.6 (1956); 5000 – 8:25.5 (1956).