Speed Skating at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Games:

Sergey Khlebnikov was favored. He had won the 1982 World Sprints, and was second in 1981. At the 1983 World Sprints, he had won both 1,000s but a fall in the 500 cost him the title. His biggest competition was expected to come from his teammate, Pavel Pegov, who had set the world record of 1:12.58 at Medeo in 1983, and had finished second at the 1983 World Sprints. Also a challenger was Japan’s Akira Kuroiwa, winner of the 1983 World Sprints. Kuroiwa was off in the first pair and posted a somewhat ordinary 1:17.49. That time was bettered in the next pair by Soviet skater Viktor Shasherin, who finished in 1:17.42. Khlebnikov was off in the fourth pair, and took the lead with 1:16.63. The fifth pair had Norway’s Kai Arne Engelstad and American Nick Thometz, who crossed in 1:16.75 and 1:16.85 respectively, moving into second and third place. Those times held up for the podium positions until Gaétan Boucher skated in the 10th pair. Boucher had been second at the 1982 World Sprints, and he had by far the best race, finishing in 1:15.80 to win the gold medal by almost a full second. Khlebnikov’s time held on for the silver and Engelstad won the bronze. Two days later Boucher would win a second gold medal in the 1,500 m, and his 500 bronze on the opening day of speed skating would give him a total of three medals in Sarajevo.