Ants Antson facts for kids

Ants Antson in 1966
Quick facts for kids Personal information
Born	(1938-11-11)11 November 1938 Tallinn, Estonia
Died	31 October 2015(2015-10-31) (aged 76)
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	84 kg (185 lb)
Sport
Sport	Speed skating
Club	Kalev Tallinn
Medal record Representing the  Soviet Union Olympic Games Gold 1964 Innsbruck 1500 m

Ants Antson (born November 11, 1938 – died October 31, 2015) was a famous speed skater from Estonia. He competed for the Soviet Union during his career. He is best known for winning a gold medal at the Winter Olympics.

Ants Antson's Skating Career

Ants Antson trained with the Kalev sports club. He was coached by Boris Shilkov, a former world and Olympic champion. Antson had his most successful year in 1964.

That year, he became the European Allround Champion. This means he was the best overall skater across several distances. He also won the gold medal in the 1500 meter race at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.

In 1964, he also set a new world record in the 3000 meter race. For all his amazing achievements that year, he received the Oscar Mathisen Award. This award is given to the best speed skater of the season.

The two gold medals Antson won in 1964 were his only international medals. However, he also won several national medals in the Soviet Union. He won gold in 1967, silver in 1965 and 1968, and bronze in 1966.

He also competed in the 1500 meter race at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. Even though he skated his fastest time ever, he finished in twelfth place.

Life After Skating

Ants Antson stopped competing shortly after the 1968 Olympics. He then worked as a sports official. He first worked for the Soviet Estonian Committee for Physical Culture and Sports. Later, he joined the Estonian Olympic Committee.

At the 1992 Winter Olympics, Antson had a special role. He became the first flag bearer for Estonia. This was a proud moment, as Estonia had recently become independent from the Soviet Union.

In 1965, Antson married Estonian film actress Eve Kivi. They later divorced in 1972. He then married Ene Antson, and they remained married until his death.

Antson's Medals and Records

This section shows the medals Ants Antson won at important championships. It also lists his world record and personal best times.

Championship Medals

World Records Set

Ants Antson set one world record during his career. A world record is the fastest time ever recorded in a specific event.

Discipline	Time	Date	Location
3000 m	4:27.3	11 February 1964	Oslo

Personal Best Times

These are Ants Antson's personal best times in different speed skating events. The "WR" column shows the official world record at the time he achieved his personal best.