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| Event type

18 kilometres, Men

Date10 February 1932 — 9:30
StatusOlympic
LocationJames C. Sheffield Speed Skating Oval, Lake Placid
Participants42 from 11 countries
DetailsCourse Length: 18,214 m
Height Differential: ?
Maximum Climb: ?
Total Climbing: ?

In contrast to the 1924 and 1928 Winter Olympics, the 18 km. race was the first event in 1932, preceding the 50 km. race by three days. This change in the program was certainly a much better solution for those skiers competing in both events.

The 18 km. race presented a strong field of merited skiers, all of them at their competitive peak. In Norway’s team Johan Grøttumsbraaten, the defending champion now aged 32, had shown new proof of his championship abilities by winning the World Championships at 18 km. in Oberhof, Germany 1931. Arne Rustadstuen was world champion on the distance in 1930, and Ole Stenen was World Champion in 50 km. from 1931 and had won the prestigious Holmenkollen the same year. Finland’s top skiers were Veli Saarinen, world champion at 18 km. in 1929 and Martti Lappalainen, winner in Holmenkollen 1928. Sweden’s Sven Utterström, now 30, had much cause for revenge after being ill during the 1928 Games. He was considered to be a 50 km. specialist, winning the World Championship 1930 and Holmenkollen in 1929 and 1930 over that distance.

The evening before the start of the race the weather was perfect for cross country skiing. But the next morning the temperature was rising, and that created problems preparing the skis for optimal gliding. In earlier competitions with mild weather the Swedes had shown great ability to choose the right ski-wax, and so they did this time. At an early stage of the race it was clear that this would be a great day for Sweden. Utterström commanded the race from start to finish, and won by a margin of exactly 2 minutes. The 24-year old Swede Axel Wikström surprised the experts by winning the silver medal 17 seconds ahead of Saarinen in 3rd place. Lappalainen was 4th, and the favored Norwegians were not satisfied with 5th and 6th place for Rustadstuen and Grøttumsbraaten, four minutes behind the winner.

PosNumberCompetitorNOCTime
1Sven UtterströmSWE1-23:07Gold
2Axel WikströmSWE1-25:07Silver
3Veli SaarinenFIN1-25:24Bronze
4Martti LappalainenFIN1-26:31
5Arne RustadstuenNOR1-27:06
6Johan GrøttumsbraatenNOR1-27:15
7Valmari ToikkaFIN1-27:51
8Ole StenenNOR1-28:05
9Väinö LiikkanenFIN1-28:30
10Nils SvärdSWE1-29:05
11Sivert MattssonSWE1-29:54
12Heigoro KuriyagawaJPN1-31:34
13Kristian HovdeNOR1-32:48
14Vladimír NovákTCH1-32:59
15Takemitsu TsubokawaJPN1-33:15
16Antonín BartoňTCH1-33:39
17Takeo HoshinaJPN1-35:47
18Bronisław CzechPOL1-36:37
19Léonce CrétinFRA1-36:42
20Jaroslav FeistauerTCH1-37:55
21Harald BosioAUT1-38:23
22Ján CífkaTCH1-38:24
23Olle ZetterstromUSA1-38:26
24Albert SecrétanFRA1-38:39
25Andrea VuerichITA1-38:42
26Gino SoldàITA1-39:43
27Stanisław MarusarzPOL1-39:56
28Richard ParsonsUSA1-40:08
29Harald PaumgartenAUT1-41:20
30Paul MugnierFRA1-41:34
31Stanisław SkupieńPOL1-41:48
32Zdzisław MotykaPOL1-41:58
33Rolf MonsenUSA1-42:36
34Severino MenardiITA1-43:04
35Harry PangmanCAN1-43:12
36Raymond BerthetFRA1-43:38
37Saburo IwasakiJPN1-44:07
38Bud ClarkCAN1-46:33
39John TaylorCAN1-48:11
40John CurrieCAN1-49:03
41Gregor HöllAUT1-55:18
42Erling AndersenUSA1-58:13
DNSHalvor HeggtveitCAN
DNSByron OliverCAN
DNSTauno LappalainenFIN
DNSErkki PenttiläFIN
DNSLorenzo ColturiITA
DNSIwao AgeishiJPN
DNSKinzo TaniguchiJPN
DNSKatsumi YamadaJPN
DNSOle HeggeNOR
DNSKolbjørn SevreNOR
DNSSigurd VestadNOR
DNSAndrzej MarusarzPOL
DNSSven ÅströmSWE
DNSGustaf JonssonSWE
DNSKarl LindbergSWE
DNSJohn LindgrenSWE
DNSFrantišek ŠimůnekTCH
DNSNils BackstromUSA
DNSNort BillingsUSA
DNSEd BloodUSA
DNSRobert Reid, Sr.USA
DNSKarl Magnus SatreUSA