Oskar OLSEN

The son of Swedish immigrants, Oskar Olsen became Norway's first medallist at the Winter Olympics by winning the silver medal in the 500 m behind Charley Jewtraw. Primarily known as a sprinter - he regularly placed among the top three in that event in international tournaments - Olsen occasionally did well in the longer distances too. This earned him a bronze medal at the 1924 and 1925 European Championships. His best placing in the World Championships was 7th, in 1923. At the 1923 Norwegian nationals, he came in third, while winning his the 500 m in 1926. Olsen retired after the 1928 season, to become a sportswriter for Sportsmanden. He later also became president of the Norwegian Skating Federation (NSF), first briefly in 1931, and again from 1949 until 1952. Oskar's brother, Henning, was also a speed skater, who placed third in the 1911 World Championships and won the Norwegian title that same year.

Personal Bests: 500 – 44.0 (1925); 1500 – 2:27.0 (1924); 5000 – 8:54.9 (1924); 10000 – 18:12.7 (1924).