Ants Antson

Ants Antson was an Estonian speed skater who competed for the Soviet Union, born on 11 November 1938 and died on 31 October 2015. Coached by the former World, Olympic and European Champion Boris Shilkov, he had his best year in 1964, when he became European Allround Champion, won the 1500 metres at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck and set a world record in the 3000 metres, and for those achievements he received the Oscar Mathisen Award. He finished twelfth in the 1500 metres at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, despite a new personal record, and retired soon after. As a sports official he worked with the Soviet Estonian Committee for Physical Culture and Sports and later the Estonian Olympic Committee, and at the 1992 Winter Olympics he was the first flag bearer for Estonia after it became independent.