Speed Skating at the 1964 Winter Olympics

The Olympia Eisstadion was in the middle of Innsbruck and was constructed specifically for the 1964 Olympic Winter Games. As in 1960, the rink was built with artificial ice, although it was outdoors and open to the wind and the elements, as were all rinks in this era. The rink had stands along the finishing straight only, and was provided with lights which allowed for night-time competition, although all the Olympic events were held during the day. The rink would be used again for the 1976 Winter Olympics, but it was significantly upgraded for that event.

The biggest story of the 1964 speed skating was the performance of Soviet skater Lidiya Skoblikova, who won all four women’s gold medals. At the 1963 World Championships, Skoblikova had also won all four distances, and she would repeat this a few weeks after the Olympics at the 1964 World Championships.