Speed Skating: the Oldest and Most Popular Event in Skating

Speed skating is an ice sport in which skaters wearing skates race on a standard 400-metre track. It was one of the eight official events of the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France, and is the oldest and most popular event in skating.

The skinsuits speed skaters wear are lightweight and aerodynamic. Their footwear, called clap skates, have the blade attached to the boot only at the front on a hinge, allowing the blade to remain in contact with the ice longer so skaters can generate more power and pick up speed.

The standard speed skating track comprises an inner lane, an outer lane and the crossing straight. For distances, only two athletes compete in each pair, one starting on the inner lane and the other on the outer lane. After each lap, they must change lanes at the crossing straight. The clock stops when the front blade crosses the finish line. Whoever finishes with the shortest time is the winner.

For mass start races, all skaters stand at the start line, with a maximum of six per line. The inner lane, the outer lane and the warmup lane are all deemed competition lanes. All skaters start simultaneously. The final rankings are based on the total points of a skater.

For team pursuit races, two teams of three skaters each start together on opposite straights. Rankings are based on the time the third skater of each team finishes.

Men’s and women’s 500m are the shortest skating event in the Olympic Winter Games and also the most competitive. This event is known for lightning-fast speed and strong visuals. Results are often too close to call. Women’s 5,000m and men’s 10,000m, on the other hand, not only require endurance and skills, but also strategic use of stamina and techniques to achieve the best results.

Copyright: the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022– A Celebration on Ice and Snow, translated by Xing Yutang