A winter Olympic sport in which skaters race across a 400-metre oval ice track at high speed in long, sweeping strokes.
Origin and rules
Speed skating developed in the Netherlands as transport across frozen canals, with competitive races organised by the 19th century. Long-track speed skating uses a 400-metre oval; short-track uses a 111-metre oval inside a hockey rink.
How it plays
Long-track events run from 500 metres to 10 000 metres, with skaters paired in lanes. Times are recorded to the hundredth of a second. Short-track is a pack race with elimination heats. Skaters wear hinged clap skates that maximise push-off.
Competition
The ISU World Speed Skating Championships, the World Cup, and the Winter Olympics are the leading events. The Netherlands dominates long track; South Korea, China, Canada, and the Netherlands lead short track. Long-track speed skating has been Olympic since 1924.
Find more sports by letter
Speed Skating starts with S and ends with G. Browse other sports along the same letter.
Sports that contain a letter from "Speed Skating":