Åke Seyffarth

One of the few active skaters during World War II, Åke Seyffarth set two official World Records (3,000 m and 5,000 m) in that period, both at Davos. These results put him on the top of the Adelskalender, the combined all-time best list, a position he held for 10 years. When international speed skating resumed in 1947, Seyffarth won the first event held, the European Championships, before his home crowd in Stockholm. A week later, he also won the bronze at the World Championships. His appearance at the Olympics in St. Moritz yielded two medals, a gold in the 10,000 m and a silver in the 1,500. Between 1940 and 1948, Seyffarth also won 22 Swedish distance titles, winning all four distances at the 1940 and 1948 editions. He was also a top cyclist, winning three Swedish titles in that sport in 1940-41.

Personal Bests: 500 – 43.2 (1942); 1500 – 2:14.2 (1942); 5000 – 8:13.7 (1941); 10000 – 17:07.5 (1942).