Göthe Hedlund
Encyclopedia
Göthe Hedlund was a Swedish
speed skater
who was at the world top around World War II
.
Hedlund made his international debut at the 1939 European Allround Championships
of Riga
, Latvia
, finishing 16th. Two weeks later, he participated in the World Allround Championships
held in Helsinki
, but his times on the first three distances were not good enough to qualify him for the final distance. The start of World War II meant that only very few tournaments were organised, so Hedlund could not compete very often during those years.
When the war was over, Hedlund participated in the first European Allround Championships after the war and promptly became the 1946 European Allround Champion. There were no official World Allround Championships that year, but unofficial World Championships were held in Oslo
and Hedlund won silver there. In 1947, Hedlund won European silver behind compatriot Åke Seyffarth
. At the 1948 Winter Olympics
of St. Moritz
, Hedlund won bronze on the 5,000 m behind Norwegian
skaters Reidar Liaklev
and Odd Lundberg
. His last international medal came two weeks later at the European Allround Championships where he won silver, again behind Liaklev.
Hedlund competed internationally until 1952. He died in Lidingö
in 2003 at the age of 85.
Note that the World Allround Championships of 1946 were unofficial.
In addition, Hedlund won a total of 12 Swedish National Championships titles:
Note that Sweden did not have any National Allround Championships from 1935 to 1962 – only National Single Distance Championships.
Hedlund has an Adelskalender score of 192.698 points.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
speed skater
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
who was at the world top around World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Hedlund made his international debut at the 1939 European Allround Championships
European Speed Skating Championships
The European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The...
of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, finishing 16th. Two weeks later, he participated in the World Allround Championships
World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world...
held in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, but his times on the first three distances were not good enough to qualify him for the final distance. The start of World War II meant that only very few tournaments were organised, so Hedlund could not compete very often during those years.
When the war was over, Hedlund participated in the first European Allround Championships after the war and promptly became the 1946 European Allround Champion. There were no official World Allround Championships that year, but unofficial World Championships were held in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Hedlund won silver there. In 1947, Hedlund won European silver behind compatriot Åke Seyffarth
Ake Seyffarth
Åke Seyffarth was a Swedish speed skater who specialised in long distance events. He was born in Stockholm....
. At the 1948 Winter Olympics
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
of St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
, Hedlund won bronze on the 5,000 m behind Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
skaters Reidar Liaklev
Reidar Liaklev
Reidar Liaklev was a speed skater from Norway who won the gold medal at the 1948 Winter Olympics of St. Moritz...
and Odd Lundberg
Odd Lundberg
Odd Lundberg was a speed skater from Norway.Lundberg became World Allround Champion in Helsinki in 1948, finished third in Oslo in 1949, and second in Eskilstuna in 1950. He also won a competition in Bislett, Oslo in 1946, which was announced as unofficial World Championships. At the 1948 Winter...
. His last international medal came two weeks later at the European Allround Championships where he won silver, again behind Liaklev.
Hedlund competed internationally until 1952. He died in Lidingö
Lidingö Municipality
Lidingö Municipality is a municipality just east of Stockholm in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Lidingö...
in 2003 at the age of 85.
Medals
An overview of medals won by Hedlund at important championships he participated in, listing the years in which he won each:| Championships | Gold medal | Silver medal | Bronze medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Olympics Speed skating at the Winter Olympics Speed skating has been featured as a sport in the Winter Olympics since the first winter games in 1924. Women's events were added to the Olympic program for the first time in 1960.-History:... |
– | – | 1948 (5,000 m) |
| World Allround World Allround Speed Skating Championships The World Allround Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of the world... |
– | (1946) | – |
| European Allround European Speed Skating Championships The European Speed Skating Championships are a series of speed skating events held annually to determine the best allround speed skater of Europe. The International Skating Union has organised the European Championships for Men since 1893 and the European Championships for Women since 1970. The... |
1946 | 1947 1948 |
– |
| Swedish Single Distance | – | – | – |
Note that the World Allround Championships of 1946 were unofficial.
In addition, Hedlund won a total of 12 Swedish National Championships titles:
- Swedish Championships 1,500 m: 1947 and 1949.
- Swedish Championships 3,000 m: 1947 and 1949.
- Swedish Championships 5,000 m: 1939, 1947, and 1949.
- Swedish Championships 10,000 m: 1939, 1944, 1945, 1949, and 1950.
Note that Sweden did not have any National Allround Championships from 1935 to 1962 – only National Single Distance Championships.
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the WR column lists the official world records on the dates that Hedlund skated his personal records.| Event | Result | Date | Venue | WR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 m | 44.5 | 10 February 1951 | Davos Eisstadion Davos Vaillant Arena is an arena in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Davos. It holds 7,080 people, of which 3,280 are seated... |
41.8 |
| 1,000 m | 1:31.2 | 2 February 1941 | Davos Eisstadion Davos Vaillant Arena is an arena in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Davos. It holds 7,080 people, of which 3,280 are seated... |
1:28.4 |
| 1,500 m | 2:18.4 | 29 January 1948 | St. Moritz St. Moritz St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden... |
2:13.8 |
| 3,000 m | 4:52.0 | 31 January 1942 | Davos Eisstadion Davos Vaillant Arena is an arena in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Davos. It holds 7,080 people, of which 3,280 are seated... |
4:49.6 |
| 5,000 m | 8:18.7 | 20 January 1951 | Oslo Bislett stadion Bislett Stadion is a sports stadium in Oslo, Norway. Bislett is Norway's most well known sports arena internationally, with 15 speed skating world records and more than 50 track and field world records having been set here... |
8:07.3 |
| 10,000 m | 17:23.9 | 6 February 1949 | Davos Eisstadion Davos Vaillant Arena is an arena in Davos, Switzerland. It is primarily used for ice hockey and is the home arena of HC Davos. It holds 7,080 people, of which 3,280 are seated... |
17:01.5 |
Hedlund has an Adelskalender score of 192.698 points.