) Wideman at the 1952 Olympics | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 17 May 1920 Vilppula, Finland | |||||||||||||
| Died | 13 April 2019 (aged 98) Tampere, Finland | |||||||||||||
| Height | 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) | |||||||||||||
| Weight | 61–62 kg (134–137 lb) | |||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Cross-country skiing | |||||||||||||
| Club | Tamperen Hiihtoseura | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
.svg.png "Gold medal – first place"){kind=icon}
Lydia Wideman (later Wideman-Lehtonen, 17 May 1920 – 13 April 2019) was a cross-country skier from Finland and the first female Olympic medalist in cross-country skiing. In 1952 she competed in thirteen 10 km races and won all of them, including the 1952 Winter Olympics, national championships and Lahti Ski Games.[1]
Wideman and her twin sister Tyyne were born in a family of ten siblings. Many members of her family were skilled cross-country skiers.[2] In particular, Tyyne won the national 10 km title in 1949–1951, beating Lydia in 1951, but retiring the same year.[3]
In February 2018, following the death of Durward Knowles, she became the oldest living Olympic champion.[4] She died on 13 April 2019, aged 98.[5][6]
Cross-country skiing results
All results are sourced from the International Ski Federation (FIS).[7]
Olympic Games
| Year | Age | 10 km |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | 31 | Gold |
References
- ^ Lydia Wideman. sports-reference.com
- ^ Seppänen, Pekka (1980) ”Lydia Widemanin täysosumatalvi”, Kultaa, kunniaa, kyyneleitä, 3. osa, pp. 293–300. Pohjanlahden Kustannus Oy. ISBN 951-95416-5-9
- ^ Arponen, Antti O.; Hannus, Matti; Honkavaara, Aarne; Leinonen, Kimmo; Mäki-Kuutti, Tarmo; Raatikainen, Voitto; Raevuori, Antero (1986) Talviurheilun tähdet, p. 123. WSOY. ISBN 951-0-13095-8
- ^ "Eight Bells: Sir Durward Knowles >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News". Scuttlebutt Sailing News. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Olympiavoittaja Lydia Wideman-Lehtonen on kuollut 98-vuotiaana" (in Finnish). Ilta-Sanomat. 13 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
- ^ "98-vuotiaana Tampereella kuollut Lydia Wideman-Lehtonen oli maailman vanhin elossa ollut olympiavoittaja - muistetaan hiihtohistoriaa tehneestä saavutuksesta" (in Finnish). Iltalehti. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
- ^ "WIDEMAN Lydia". FIS-Ski. International Ski Federation. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
External links
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Media related to Lydia Wideman at Wikimedia Commons