Jukka Salmela
Encyclopedia
Jukka Arto Olavi Salmela (born 30 December 1958) is a former Finnish
speedskater
who specialised on the shorter distances 500-m and 1000-m. He took part in the 1980 Winter Olympics
on these distances, with an 18th rank on the 500-m as his best result, and was ranked 12th in the 1981 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships
. On 31 March 1980, Salmela was the first skater in the world to race the 500-m
below 37 seconds, when he achieved the time of 36.8 on the Medeo
skating rink in Alma Ata. At that time the world record
was Yevgeny Kulikov's
37.00 of March 1975. Salmela's result was however not officially ratified as a world record by the International Skating Union
; also, 36.8 was clocked by manual and not electronic timing. His 36.8 was the world's best 500-m result until Aleksandr Danilin and Pavel Pegov
skated respectively 36.76 and 36.68 at the Medeo
rink on 25 March 1983; the next day Pegov improved the world record to 36.57.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
speedskater
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 specialised on the shorter distances 500-m and 1000-m. He took part in the 1980 Winter Olympics
1980 Winter Olympics
The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...
on these distances, with an 18th rank on the 500-m as his best result, and was ranked 12th in the 1981 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships
World Sprint Speed Skating Championships
The World Sprint Speed Skating Championships are annual speed skating championships. The championships are held over a two day period, with the skaters racing one 500 m and one 1,000 m each day...
. On 31 March 1980, Salmela was the first skater in the world to race the 500-m
below 37 seconds, when he achieved the time of 36.8 on the Medeo
Medeo
The Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world...
skating rink in Alma Ata. At that time the world record
World record
A world record is usually the best global performance ever recorded and verified in a specific skill or sport. The book Guinness World Records collates and publishes notable records of all types, from first and best to worst human achievements, to extremes in the natural world and beyond...
was Yevgeny Kulikov's
Yevgeny Kulikov
Yevgeny Nikolayevich Kulikov is a former speed skater who specialised in the sprint.Yevgeny Kulikov trained at Burevestnik Voluntary Sports Society...
37.00 of March 1975. Salmela's result was however not officially ratified as a world record by the International Skating Union
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands in 1892, making it one of the oldest international...
; also, 36.8 was clocked by manual and not electronic timing. His 36.8 was the world's best 500-m result until Aleksandr Danilin and Pavel Pegov
Pavel Pegov
Pavel Georgievich Pegov is a former speed skater who specialised in the shorter 500 metres and 1000 metres distances. He studied at the East Siberian Technological Institute and trained with Nina Bobrova, and later at the Armed Forces sports society...
skated respectively 36.76 and 36.68 at the Medeo
Medeo
The Medeu , or Medeo , is an outdoor speed skating and bandy rink. It is located in a mountain valley on the south-eastern outskirts of Almaty, Kazakhstan. Medeu sits 1,691 metres above sea level, making it the highest skating rink in the world...
rink on 25 March 1983; the next day Pegov improved the world record to 36.57.