30 kilometres, Men

The 30 km. event was new to the Olympic program, and was organized the day after the Opening Ceremony. The event was first held at the FIS World Championship program at Falun, Sweden in 1954, and at that championship the Soviet skiers made their first international appearance. A 23-year-old skier from Arkhangelsk, Vladimir Kuzin, won ahead of the 1952 50 km. Olympic champion, Veikko Hakulinen. These two were the hottest favorites for an Olympic gold in this new event. Kuzin was definitively the king of cross-country skiing at Falun in 1954, also winning the 50 km. and winning a third gold medal as a member of the gold medal winning Soviet team in the relay.

Under difficult snow conditions, the rising Swedish star Sixten Jernberg, who placed fourth at the distance in Falun two years before, was in front after 10 km., six seconds faster than Hakulinen. The four Soviet skiers were all among the first seven. At 20 km. Hakulinen had taken the lead eight seconds ahead of Jernberg. Pavel Kolchin, a 26-year-old Soviet skier from Dynamo Moskva, was third, followed by his three teammates. Hakulinen, starting last of the favorites, increased his lead over the last 10 km. and won his second Olympic gold medal, 24 seconds ahead of Jernberg. Kolchin took the bronze medal, only one second ahead of another Soviet skier, Anatoly Shelyukin. Kuzin was the fastest finisher of the Soviet skiers and advanced to fifth place, but was over two minutes behind Hakulinen. The Norwegians had a bad day. Their best skier, the 1952 18 km. Olympic Champion Hallgeir Brenden, was a distant 14th, over five minutes behind the winner. Kolchin’s bronze was historic, as it was the first Nordic skiing medal won by a nation other than Finland, Norway, or Sweden.