Soviet Skaters Posing at Olympic Practice Session

(Original Caption) Soviet speed skaters Raffel Gratch, (L), Yuri Sergeyev, and Evgenji Grischin, (R), shown before a practice race at Cortina, broke their won world record for the 500 meter sprint in Olympic practice in a dramatic warning of the bid they will make when the games get underway. Grishin set a new record of 0.40.2 seconds; Sergeyev beat his own mark, but lost his title and Gratch tied Sergeyev's mark of last year. The victory marked the second world speed skating record set by the Russians in Olympic preparations in three days.