Date | 5 February 1964 — 8:30 |
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Status | Olympic |
Location | Langlaufstadion, Seefeld |
Participants | 41 from 14 countries |
Details | Course Length: ? Height Differential: 196 m Intermediate 1: 10.0 km Intermediate 2: 25.0 km Intermediate 3: 35.0 km Maximum Climb: 98 m Total Climbing: 1,578 m |
Sixten Jernberg was definitively the king of the 50 km cross country in the late 1950-s and early 1960-s. He was World Champion in 1958 and 1962 and Olympic Champion in 1956. His only loss in a major championships was when he placed fifth in the 1960 Olympic Games. In the 1962 World Championships he won by a comfortable margin ahead of countryman Assar Rönnlund and defending Olympic Champion Kalevi Hämälainen. The 50 km was organized three days after the 15 km race and one day before Jernberg’s 35th birthday.
Hämälainen was in the lead after 10 km, 14 seconds ahead of Harald Grønningen and with Rönnlund and Jernberg close behind. At the halfway point Hämälainen had increased his lead to 49 seconds, with Rönnlund now in second position and Jernberg close behind in third. At 35 km Hämälainen was apparently struggling, Jernberg now in second place was only 20 seconds behind. The Norwegian Einar Østby was now in third place almost half a minute behind Jernberg, closely followed by Arto Tiainen, an experienced Finnish skier (aged 33) competing in his third Olympics. Rönnlund was down in fifth place but still in contention for the medals, only 18 seconds behind Østby. Another Swede, Janne Stefansson, was moving steadily ahead and had advanced to sixth place.
In the final part of the race defending champion Hämälainen “hit the wall” and lost almost 9 minutes to Jernberg in the last 15 km. He ended in sixteenth place. Jernberg had complete control over his opponents and finished in superb style, winning his third Olympic gold medal, over a minute ahead of team-mate Rönnlund, who after a good finish secured a Swedish double. A tired Tiainen snatched the bronze medal only six seconds ahead of Stefansson, preventing a clean sweep for the Swedes. The fastest finisher of all was the Norwegian favorite Sverre Stensheim, winner of the Holmenkollen 50 km three times in a row (1959-1961). He advanced from a modest 13th place at the halfway point ending fifth, only 17 seconds from the bronze medal. Double Olympic Champion Eero Mäntyranta was apparently tired after his two victories earlier in the week and ended up ninth.