Ken Kennedy

In 1936, Ken Kennedy became Australia’s first Olympian in a sport he had never competed in before: long track speed skating. That didn’t mean he was a novice: Kennedy had already won numerous indoor speed skating titles by then, and had been playing ice hockey in Great Britain since 1934. There, he competed for the Birmingham Maple Leafs, which won the English league title in 1936. Kennedy became a professional player after the Olympics, also participating in ice shows and barrel jumping. He returned to Australia in 1946 after having served in the Royal Air Force during the war. He picked up hockey and speed skating once more in Australia, retiring only in 1953. He remained involved in sports, as the president of the Australian Ice Hockey Federation and the state federation for New South Wales. Kennedy also operated a skate shop in Sydney. A year after his death, he was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Personal Bests: 500 – 47.4 (1936); 1500 – 2:31.8 (1936); 5000 – 9:48.9 (1936).