Reidar Kristofer Liaklev (15 July 1917 – 1 March 2006) was a speed skating, speed skater from Norway who won the gold medal in the 5000 m event at the 1948 Winter Olympics. Liaklev was a long distance specialist, yet he won the European Speed Skating Championships, European Allround Championships in 1948.
Liaklev won bronze at the junior Norwegian Championships in 1939, and as for most athletes of his time, his career was interrupted by World War II. His first international senior tournament was the 1947 World Speed Skating Championships, World Allround Championships, where he finished third on the 5,000 m, won the 10,000 m event, and placed fourth overall.
In the first Winter Olympics after World War II, in February 1948, Liaklev won the 5000 m in a time of 8:29.4. He also participated in the 10,000 m, but failed to finish due to breathing problems at high altitudes. Two weeks later, he won the European Championships in Hamar. In 1949, he became Norwegian Allround Champion. The following year he won a silver medal at the European Allround Championships in Helsinki, and won the 10,000 m event there.
Liaklev represented ''Brandbu Idrettsforening'' (Brandbu Sports Association). He retired around 1950 and became a speed skating coach and member of the Norwegian Skating Association board.
He also worked as a post master and a beekeeper in his home village of Jaren, and served on the community council.
[Reidar Liaklev]
sports-reference.com
Personal records
To put these personal records in perspective, the ''WR'' column lists the official world records on the dates that Liaklev skated his personal records.
Liaklev has an Adelskalender (skating), Adelskalender score of 191.578 points. His highest ranking on the Adelskalender was a ninth place.
References
External links
Reidar Liaklev at SkateResults.comReidar Liaklev ''Deutsche Eisschnelllauf Gemeinschaft e.V.'' (German Skating Association).
Historical World Records ''International Skating Union''.
National Championships results ''Norges Skøyteforbund'' (Norwegian Skating Association).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liaklev, Reidar
1917 births
2006 deaths
Norwegian male speed skaters
Speed skating coaches
Olympic speed skaters for Norway
Olympic gold medalists for Norway
Speed skaters at the 1948 Winter Olympics
Olympic medalists in speed skating
Medalists at the 1948 Winter Olympics
People from Gran, Norway
Sportspeople from Innlandet