Cross Country Skiing at the 1964 Innsbruck Winter Games:

Eero Mäntyranta emerged as the new Finnish cross country star after Veikko Hakulinen decided in 1962 to try a new sport, biathlon, and qualified for the Finnish Olympic biathlon team 1964, aged 39. Mäntyranta was World Champion at 30 km in 1962, and one of the heavy favorites for the event in the Olympics two years later. The Swedish team was still lead by Sixten Jernberg, now close to 35 but still considered as one of the best long distance skiers. Janne Stefansson, silver medallist at the distance in the World Championships 1962, was also considered among the favorites, together with Italian Giulio De Florian, bronze medalist in 1962. De Florian however had to withdraw from the 30 km due to illness.

The Finn Kalevi Lauria, who had a reputation as a fast opener, took an early lead at the 10 km mark, starting as number 4. His intermediate time was beaten by the Norwegian Ole Ellefsæter by a few seconds, but shortly afterwards he had to drop out of the race due to trouble with his skies. Mäntyranta, starting next to last of the 70 competitors, bettered Laurila’s time by 14 seconds and the favorite was in the lead. At 20 km Mäntyranta had opened a gap of 1:05 to Laurila, still in second place, but closely followed by Soviet Union’s Igor Voronchikhin and Norway’s Harald Grønningen, only two and three seconds behind Laurila. Mäntyranta increased his lead over the last 10 km and won by a comfortable margin, 1:12 ahead of fast finishing Grønningen with Voronchikhin taking the bronze medal. The Swedes Stefansson and Jernberg advanced from 13th and 14th position after 10 km to fourth and fifth in the final standings, and Laurila dropped down to sixth. West-German Walter Demel, aged 30 and making his first out of four winter Olympic appearances, was best of the Middle European skiers, placing 10th.