History

Speed skating began as a rapid form of transportation across frozen lakes and rivers. It made its debut on the Olympic programme at the 1924 Winter Games.

Early pioneers
The Dutch were arguably the earliest pioneers of skating. They began using canals to maintain communication by skating from village to village as far back as the 13th century. Skating eventually spread across the channel to England, and soon the first clubs and artificial rinks began to form. Passionate skaters included several kings of England, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon III and German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Early competition
The first known skating competition is thought to have been held in the Netherlands in 1676. However, the first official speed skating events were not held until 1863 in Oslo, Norway. In 1889, the Netherlands hosted the first World Championships, bringing together Dutch, Russian, American and English teams.

Olympic history
Speed skating appeared for the first time in 1924 at the first Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix. Initially, only men were allowed to participate. It was only at the Lake Placid Games in 1932 that women were authorised to compete in speed skating, which was then only a demonstration sport. It was not until the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley that women’s speed skating was officially included in the Olympic programme.

The events almost always follow the European system, which consists of skaters competing two-by-two. At the 1932 Olympic Games, the Americans organised American-style events, i.e. with a mass start. This decision brought about a boycott by many European competitors, which allowed the Americans to win the four gold medals. This system would give birth to short-track speed skating, which was added to the Olympic programme in Albertville in 1992.

Source: olympic.org

Equipment

Armband colours
Skaters in the outer lane wear a red armband and skaters on the inner lane wear a white armband.

Blade
The part of the blade that comes in contact with the ice forms a straight line. Men’s speed skating blades are generally 42-46 cm long. The longer the blade, the faster the skate up to a point where length would become an obstacle. The underside of the blade is only about 1mm thick.

Glasses
Glasses protect skaters’ eyes from the wind and ice chips. The lens reduces glare and improves visibility of the track.

Clap skate
Unlike conventional skates, the heel of the clap-skate blade is not attached to the boot, and the toe of the blade is affixed to the boot with a hinged apparatus. At the end of each stride, as the skater picks up the skate, the blade briefly disconnects from the heel of the boot, thereby keeping the blade on the ice longer and increasing the skater’s pushing power. When the blade has fully extended, a spring mechanism mounted on the front of the boot snaps the blade back up to the boot, resulting in the clapping sound that gives the skate its name.

Racing suit
Skaters wear skin-tight racing suits with hoods to decrease air resistance. Racing suits must conform to the natural shape of the skater’s body. Insertion or attachment of forms or devices to create a different shape is not permitted.

Source: olympic.org

Glossary

Air resistance
In the men”s 500m race, air resistance is equivalent to a force of 5kg which accounts for nearly 70% of the physical resistance to overcome. Friction between skates and ice accounts for the remaining 30%

Gravitational force
Going around a curve, the skater is pushed outward at a force of 60kg in the inner lane and 52kg in the outer lane. To counteract this centrifugal force, the skater leans 45° when in the inner lane and 49° in the outer. This results in a gravitational force equivalence of 90kg on one leg in the inner lane and 76.5kg in the outer.

Heat
All races consist of one heat except the 500m, in which there are two heats with competitors taking it in turns to start in the outside lane.

International Skating Union (ISU)
The International Skating Union (ISU) is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as speed skating”s official governing body. The ISU makes the rules, trains and certifies judges, and determines how international figure skating competitions, including the Olympics, are run.

Lane
The athletes change corridors each lap on the back straight. The skater passing from the outside lane to the inside lane has priority.

Markers
Indicate the line the skater must follow. An athlete can shift them and change lanes, as long as the distance skated is not reduced.

Skating pattern
The skater propels forward by using a combination of movements veering to and from the trajectory taken by the body on a 1mm wide blade.

Start
A staggered start for all races except the 500m race. Competitors line up 2m from the start line. When the judge calls them forward they approach the line, and begin skating when the starting pistol is fired. Two false starts lead to disqualification.

Source: olympic.org