speed skating

The first known speed skating competition took place in England in 1763. The first world championship in speed skating for men was held in Amsterdam in 1889. At the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924, speed skating was already part of the games programme. In 1936 the first women's speed skating world championships were held in Stockholm and in 1972 the first sprint speed skating world championships were held.

Speed ??skating is a speed and endurance competition on ice skates for women and men. It can be held outdoors or indoors on a 400 m long natural or artificial ice track, which is divided into 2 lanes, each 4 to 5 m wide. The transition straight is located opposite the starting straight. On this track, the runners, who compete in pairs against each other, have to switch lanes.

Since 2006 there has also been the team run as an Olympic competition, where 3 runners run together and, by changing the lead and slipstreaming, achieve higher speeds than individual starters. The distance is 6 laps for women and 8 laps for men. The speed skater pushes off in a straight line with the legs to the side, keeping the full length of the skate in contact with the ice surface. With this technique, the greatest possible speed on the ice is achieved. In order to be able to push off sufficiently with their legs, speed skaters have to crouch deeply. Top athletes on ice skates can reach a sustained speed of 45 km/h for several kilometers or several minutes, and in sprints for brief periods of more than 60 km/h.

The international umbrella organization ISU (International Skating Union) organizes world championships, European championships and a series of up to 12 world cups every year. The ISU registers world records for all World Championship distances. The program at the Olympic Winter Games and World Championships includes the running distances of 500 m, 1,000 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m (women only), 5,000 m and 10,000 m (men only) as well as the team pursuit.