92-704: Beginning in 1959 the Oscar Mathisen Award (also known as the Oscar Mathisen Memorial Award , the Oscar Mathisen Memorial Trophy , and sometimes the Skating Oscar ) has been awarded annually to the skater with the most outstanding speed skating performance of the season. The award was introduced by Oslo Skøiteklub (Oslo Skating Club, OSK) to commemorate the legendary Norwegian speed skater Oscar Mathisen (1888–1954). The winner
184-507: A 111m track. An international federation was founded in 1892, the first for any winter sport . The sport enjoys large popularity in the Netherlands , Norway and South Korea . There are top international rinks in a number of other countries, including Canada , the United States , Germany , Italy , Japan , Russia , Kazakhstan , China , Belarus and Poland . A World Cup circuit
276-542: A 400-meter oval. In all individual competition forms, only two skaters are allowed to race at once. Skaters must change lanes every lap. The skater changing from the outside lane to the inside has right-of-way. Skaters may be disqualified for false starts, impeding, and cutting inside the track. If a skater misses their race or falls they have the option to race their distance again. There are no heats or finals in long track, all rankings are by time. The starting procedure in long-track speed skating consists of three parts. First,
368-700: A biannual European Allround Speedskating Championships is held which includes a sprint championship. A more basic form of speed skating consists of skating a single event. This is the format used for the World Single Distance Championships , which have been arranged since 1996, and the World Cup . The usual distances are the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m (women only), 5000 m and 10,000 m (men only), but some other distances are sometimes skated as well, such as 100 m and 1 mile. Women occasionally, but rarely, are given
460-544: A fall. The team pursuit is a new event in major international competitions. The event was introduced at international level at the world junior championships around the turn of the millennium, and to the World Cup in 2003, but it was not considered an official ISU event until around 2004, and eventually introduced at the Olympics in 2006. Speed skates Speed skates differ greatly from hockey skates and figure skates. Unlike hockey skates and figure skates, speed skates cut off at
552-512: A few other skaters. Jonny Nilsson , 1963 world champion and Olympic gold medallist, was the driving force behind the league, which folded in 1974 for economic reasons, and the ISU also excluded tracks hosting professional races from future international championships. The ISU later organised its own World Cup circuit with monetary prizes, and full-time professional teams developed in the Netherlands during
644-513: A helmet, shin pads, knee pads, and neck guard which are not required; along with their blades. Long track skaters skate on what are called "clap blades". These blades have hinges under the boot towards the back. It is described in more detail above. Protective eyewear is not mandatory. The suit also does not need to be kevlar. Long track skaters wear a hood that is built into the suit. Long track speed skating#Team pursuit Long-track speed skating , usually simply referred to as speed skating ,
736-566: A matter of transport. For example, winters in the Netherlands have never been stable and cold enough to make ice skating a way of travelling or a mode of transport. This has already been described in 1194 by William Fitzstephen, who described a sport in London. Later, in Norway, King Eystein Magnusson, later King Eystein I of Norway, boasts of his skills racing on ice legs. However, skating and speed skating
828-460: A problem within the sport until electronic clocks arrived in the 1960s; during the 1936 Olympic 500-metre race, it was suggested that Ivar Ballangrud 's 500-metre time was almost a second too good. Finland won the remaining four gold medals at the 1924 Games, with Clas Thunberg winning 1,500 metres, 5,000 metres, and allround. It was the only time an allround Olympic gold medal has been awarded in speed skating. Norwegian and Finnish skaters won all
920-620: A professional contact sport that originally was a form of racing. FIRS World Championships of inline speed skating go back to the 1980s, but many world champions, such as Derek Parra and Chad Hedrick , have switched to ice in order to win Olympic medals. Like roller skating, ice speed skating was also professional in North America. Oscar Mathisen , five-time ISU world champion and three-time European champion, renounced his amateur status in 1916 and travelled to America, where he won many races but
1012-522: A race in 1917, but the Dutch natural ice conditions have rarely been conducive to skating. The Elfstedentocht has been held 15 times since 1909, and, before artificial ice was available in 1962, national championships had been held in 25 of the years between 1887, when the first championship was held in Slikkerveer , and 1961. Since artificial ice became common in the Netherlands, Dutch speed skaters have been among
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#17328697726581104-441: A skater moves before the gun goes off at the start of a race. Skaters are disqualified for impeding when one skater cuts in front of another skater and causes the first skater to stand up to avoid collision or fall. Cutting inside the track occurs when a skater's skates goes inside the blocks which mark the track on the ice. If disqualified the skater will be given last place in their heat or final. Races are run counter-clockwise on
1196-486: A smaller rink, normally the size of an ice hockey rink, on a 111.12 m oval track. Distances are shorter than in long-track racing, with the longest Olympic individual race being 1500 meters (the women's relay is 3000 meters and the men's relay 5000 meters). Events are usually held with a knockout format, with the best two in heats of four or five qualifying for the final race, where medals are awarded. Disqualifications and falls are not uncommon. There are variations on
1288-413: A sport in London. Later, in Norway, King Eystein Magnusson , later King Eystein I of Norway , boasts of his skills racing on bone skates, so called ice legs. However, skating and speed skating was not limited to the Netherlands and Scandinavia; in 1592, a Scotsman designed a skate with an iron blade. It was iron-bladed skates that led to the spread of skating and, in particular, speed skating. By 1642,
1380-431: A team event in speed skating and is skated by teams of three skaters. Races resemble the team pursuit event in track cycling . Two teams race at a time, starting at a line in the middle of the straightaway. One team starts on each side of the track. Only the inner lane is used. The distance is eight laps for men and six for women. The team's time is the third skater to cross the finish line. There are several formats for
1472-679: A two-lane oval rink similar in dimension to an outdoor athletics track . Indeed, an athletics track covered with ice can function as a speed skating track, such as on Bislett stadion in Oslo up to the 1980s. According to the rules of the International Skating Union , a standard track should be either 400 m or 333⅓ m long; 400 m is the standard used for all major competitions. Tracks of other, non-standard lengths, such 200 or 250 m, are also in use in some places for training and/or smaller local competitions. On standard tracks,
1564-448: Is also a feature of outdoor marathons. In the Netherlands, marathon competitions may be held on natural ice on canals, and bodies of water such as lakes and rivers, but may also be held on artificially frozen 400 m tracks, with skaters circling the track 100 times, for example. The origins of speed skating date back over a millennium in the North of Europe, especially Scandinavia and
1656-410: Is an agreement in place, stating that an indoor arena intended primarily for either bandy or long-track speed skating, shall have ice surface for the other sport as well. There are two primary types of skates, traditional ice skates and clap skates . The clap skates were introduced by Viking around 1996. They were considered revolutionary as the blades are hinged at the front of the boot and detach at
1748-511: Is awarded a miniature of the statue of Oscar Mathisen created by the sculptor Arne Durban . The statue is placed outside Frogner Stadium in Oslo, the venue of many of Oscar Mathisen's most memorable victories. For the first eight years (1959–1966) no repeat winners were allowed, and women were not eligible to win until 1987. Since its inception in 1959 it has been awarded 66 times to 50 skaters (41 men and 9 women) from 10 countries. Eric Heiden from
1840-540: Is called samalog . An allround champion may not have won a single distance—such as Viktor Kosichkin in the 1962 World Championship—or he may win three distances but lose the overall title. Originally, three distance victories won one the championship, but the rules were changed after Rolf Falk-Larssen beat Tomas Gustafson at the 1983 World Championship despite the latter having less points. The ISU organizes an annual World Allround Speed Skating Championships . The sprint championships are two-day events where skaters run
1932-538: Is held with events in those countries plus two events in the Thialf ice hall in Heerenveen , Netherlands . The standard rink for long track is 400 meters long, but tracks of 200, 250 and 333 1 ⁄ 3 meters are used occasionally. It is one of two Olympic forms of the sport and the one with the longer history. ISU rules allow some leeway in the size and radius of curves. Short track speed skating takes place on
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#17328697726582024-405: Is mandatory. Many skaters wear smooth ceramic or carbon fiber tips on the left hand glove to reduce friction when their hand is on the ice at corners. All skaters who race at a national level must wear a cutproof kevlar suit to protect against being cut from another skater's blade. Long track For long track skaters the same equipment should be worn as short track racers but with the exception of
2116-429: Is newer, it is growing faster than long-track speed skating, largely because short track can be done on an ice hockey rink rather than a long-track oval. Races are run counter-clockwise on a 111-meter track. Short track races are almost always run in a mass start format in which two to six skaters may race at once. Skaters may be disqualified for false starts, impeding, and cutting inside the track. False starts occur when
2208-495: Is that there is a small but statistically significant average advantage of starting in the inner lane; negotiating the last curve at high speed is typically more difficult in the inner lane than in the outer lane. In addition to international championships, the International Skating Union has organised the Speed Skating World Cup since the 1985–86 season. The World Cup works by ranking skaters by cumulative score during
2300-569: Is the Olympic discipline of speed skating where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as ice skating marathon , short-track speedskating , inline speedskating , and quad speed skating are also called speed skating. Long-track speed skating enjoys large popularity in the Netherlands and has also had champion athletes from Austria , Canada , China , Finland , Germany , Japan , Italy , Norway , Poland , South Korea , Russia , Sweden ,
2392-426: Is the same for all combinations. All times are calculated back to 500 m times, so skating the 500 m in 40 seconds gives 40 points, while 1500 m (3×500 m) in 2 minutes (120 seconds, equivalent to 3×40 s) also gives 40 points. Points are calculated to three decimal places, and truncation is applied; the numbers are not rounded. The skater who has the fewest points wins the competition. This system
2484-458: Is the third skater to cross the finish line. There are several formats for the team pursuit. The Olympic format is unusual in that it is a cup format, with several rounds of exclusion between two teams. In the World Cup and World Championships, one race is skated and the teams are ranked by their finishing time. In the Olympic format, a team that overtakes the other has automatically won the race and
2576-478: Is unfairly hindered; these rules vary between the disciplines. In long track speed skating, almost any infringement on the pairmate is punished, though skaters are permitted to change from the inner to the outer lane out of the final curve if they are not able to hold the inner curve, as long as they are not interfering with the other skater. In mass-start races, skaters will usually be allowed some physical contact. Team races are also held; in long track speed skating,
2668-483: The Czech Republic and the United States . Speed skaters attain maximum speeds of 60 km/h (37 mph). The roots of speed skating date back over a millennium to Scandinavia, Northern Europe and the Netherlands, where the natives added bones to their shoes and used them to travel on frozen rivers, canals and lakes. In contrast to what people think, ice skating has always been an activity of joy and sports and not
2760-565: The Elfstedentocht . The first known speed skating competition for women was in Heerenveen , the Netherlands from 1 to 2 February 1805. The competition was won by Trijntje Pieters Westra . By 1851, North Americans had discovered a love of the sport, and the all-steel blade was later developed there. In Norway speed skating also became popular, as there was a huge interest in the 1885 speed skating race at Frognerkilen between Axel Paulsen and Renke van der Zee . The Netherlands came back to
2852-487: The Netherlands , where the natives added bones to their shoes and used them to travel on frozen rivers, canals and lakes. In contrast to what people think, ice skating has always been an activity of joy and sports and not a matter of transport and travel. For example, winters in the Netherlands have never been stable and cold enough to make ice skating a regular way of travelling or a mode of transport. This has already been described in 1194 by William Fitzstephen, who described
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2944-509: The Netherlands . Alternative versions of this famous event are sometimes held abroad, e.g., in Finland and Canada. In cold winters in the Netherlands, a " National championship " skating marathon on natural ice is organized if it meets the minimum requirement of 12-centimetre thickness. For the first time in 13 years, a Dutch championship ice-skating marathon on natural ice was held in January 2009, in
3036-468: The Olympic Games , long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track". The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of competitive ice sports, refers to long track as "speed skating" and short track as "short track skating". Long track speed skating takes place on a 400m ice track, while short track takes place on
3128-611: The Oostvaardersplassen wetland near Lelystad in the province of Flevoland , an area of land reclaimed in the 1960s. The women competitors competed in 60 kilometres, and the men, 100 kilometres. An example of a famous marathon outside the Netherlands is the International Big Rideau Lake Speed Skating Marathon in Portland, Ontario , Canada . The following is the list of athletes who have won
3220-480: The United States holds the record for most awards (4 times in 1977–1980) while Gunda Niemann from Germany is the only woman who received this award more than once (3 times in 1995–1997). Speed skating Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates . Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating , short-track speed skating , and marathon speed skating . In
3312-477: The 1914 Olympic Congress, the delegates agreed to include ice speed skating in the 1916 Olympics, after figure skating had featured in the 1908 Olympics. However, World War I put an end to the plans of Olympic competition, and it was not until the winter sports week in Chamonix in 1924—retroactively awarded Olympic status—that ice speed skating reached the Olympic programme. Charles Jewtraw from Lake Placid, New York, won
3404-635: The 1972 season, European long-track skaters founded a professional league, International Speedskating League, which included Ard Schenk , three-time Olympic gold medallist in 1972, as well as five Norwegians, four other Dutchmen, three Swedes, and a few other skaters. Jonny Nilsson , 1963 world champion and Olympic gold medallist, was the driving force behind the league, which folded in 1974 for economic reasons, and ISU also excluded tracks hosting professional races from future international championships. The ISU later organised its own World Cup circuit with monetary prizes, and full-time professional teams developed in
3496-470: The 1990s, which led them to a dominance on the men's side only challenged by Japanese 500 m racers and American inline skaters who changed to long tracks to win Olympic gold. During the 20th century, roller skating also developed as a competitive sport. Roller-skating races were professional from an early stage. Professional World Championships were arranged in North America between the competitors on that circuit. Later, roller derby leagues appeared,
3588-421: The 400 metre track was standardised by the ISU in 1892, along with the standard distances for world championships, 500 m, 1500 m, 5000 m and 10,000 m. Skaters started in pairs, each to their own lane, and changed lanes for every lap to ensure that each skater completed the same distance. This is what is now known as long track speed skating. Competitions were exclusively for amateur skaters, which
3680-466: The 500 m and 1000 m on both days. The samalog system is again applied to crown the winner. To counter any systematic bias regarding inner versus outer lanes, skaters change start lanes from the first day to the second. Nations with active skaters arrange annual national sprint championships, and the ISU have held annual World Sprint Speedskating Championships for men and for women since 1970. Since 2017
3772-558: The Alternative Elfstedentocht. The Alternative Elfstedentocht races take part in other countries, such as Austria , Finland or Canada , and all top marathon skaters, as well as thousands of recreative skaters, travel from the Netherlands to the location where the race is held. According to the NRC Handelsblad journalist Jaap Bloembergen, the country "takes a carnival look" during international skating championships. At
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3864-622: The ISU adopted the short track speed skating branch, with mass-start races on shorter tracks, in 1967, arranged international competitions from 1976, and brought them back to the Olympics in 1992. Artificial ices entered the long track competitions with the 1960 Winter Olympics , and the competitions in 1956 on Lake Misurina were the last Olympic competitions on natural ice. 1960 also saw the first Winter Olympic competitions for women. Lidia Skoblikova won two gold medals in 1960 and four in 1964. More aerodynamic skating suits were also developed, with Swiss skater Franz Krienbühl (who finished 8th on
3956-522: The Netherlands and the former Soviet Union, with none of these nations having won official medals (though the Netherlands won two gold medals when the sport was a demonstration event in 1988). The Norwegian publication Sportsboken spent ten pages detailing the long track speed skating events at the Albertville Games in 1993, but short track was not mentioned by word, though the results pages appeared in that section. Although this form of speed skating
4048-425: The Netherlands during the 1990s, which led them to a dominance on the men's side only challenged by Japanese 500 m racers and a couple of American allrounders. All races are held in pairs, (except for the new Mass Start event), for which two lanes on the track are used. Skaters wear bands around their upper arm to identify which lane they started in. The colours are white for inner lane and red for outer lane. At
4140-464: The Netherlands, people began touring the waterways connecting the 11 cities of Friesland, a challenge which eventually led to the Elfstedentocht. By 1851, North Americans had discovered a love of the sport, and indeed the all-steel blade was later developed there. The Netherlands came back to the fore in 1889 with the organization of the first world championships. The ISU (International Skating Union)
4232-650: The Norwegian Axel Paulsen was named Amateur Champion Skater of the World after winning competitions in the United States . Five years later, a sports club in Amsterdam held an ice-skating event they called a world championship, with participants from Russia , the United States and the United Kingdom , as well as the host country. The Internationale Eislauf Vereinigung , now known as the International Skating Union ,
4324-445: The Olympic 10,000 m at the age of 46) at the front of development. After a while, national teams took over development of bodysuits, which are also used in short track skating, though without headcover attached to the suit—short trackers wear helmets instead, as falls are more common in mass-start races. Suits and indoor skating, as well as the clap skate , has helped to lower long track world records considerably; from 1971 to 2009,
4416-401: The Olympics in 2006. In marathon events, skaters skate long distances in a large group. When conducted at an ice rink oval, the distance is usually around 40 km, akin to the traditional marathon in running. When skated outdoors on natural ice, the distances can be as long as 200 km. An example of this is the famous Elfstedentocht (Eleven cities tour), which is irregularly held in
4508-630: The World Championships held immediately after the Games, without the American champions, Norwegian racers won all four distances and occupied the top three spots in the allround standings. Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish and Japanese skating leaders protested to the USOC , condemning the manner of competition, and expressing the wish that mass start races were never to be held again at the Olympics. However, ISU adopted
4600-454: The World Championships held immediately after the games, without the American champions, Norwegian racers won all four distances and occupied the three top spots in the allround standings. Norwegians, Swedes, Finns, and Japanese skating leaders protested to the USOC, condemning the manner of competition and expressing the wish that mass-start races were never to be held again at the Olympics. However,
4692-411: The age of 46) at the front of development. After a while, national teams took over development of "body suits". Suits and indoor skating, as well as the clap skate , has helped to lower long-track world records considerably; from 1971 to 2007, the average speed on the men's 1500 metres was raised from 45 to 52 km/h (28 to 32 mph). Similar speed increases are shown in the other distances. After
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#17328697726584784-495: The aggregate of all the scores during the World Cup Season. The team pursuit is a team event in speed skating and is skated by teams of three skaters. Races resemble the team pursuit event in track cycling . Two teams race at a time, starting at a line in the middle of the straightaway. One team starts on each side of the track. Only the inner lane is used. The distance is eight laps for men and six for women. The team's time
4876-409: The ankle and are built more like a shoe than a boot to allow for more ankle compression. The blades range in length from 30 to 45 cm depending on the age and height of the skater. Short track blades are fixed to the boot in at the heel and immediately behind the ball of the foot. Long track skates, also called clap skates, attach to a hinge at the front of the boot. The heel of the boot detaches from
4968-401: The average speed on the men's 1500 metres has been raised from 45 to 52 km/h . Similar speed increases are shown in the other distances. After the 1972 season, European long track skaters founded a professional league, International Speedskating League, which included Ard Schenk , three-time Olympic gold medallist in 1972, as well as five Norwegians, four other Dutchmen, three Swedes, and
5060-449: The back straight, the skaters switch lanes, which causes them both to cover the same distance per lap. When both skaters emerge from the corner at exactly the same time, the person currently in the inner lane will have to let the outer lane pass in front of him. This usually does not cause any problems, as the person in the inner lane will generally move much faster than the person in the outer lane. Occasionally, quartet starts are used, for
5152-470: The blade on every stroke, through a spring mechanism located at the front connector. This extends the skater's stroke by keeping the blade on the ice longer. Speed skates are manually sharpened using a jig to hold them in place. Short track All short track skaters must have speed skates, a spandex skin suit, protective helmet, specific cut proof skating gloves, knee pads and shin pads (in suit), neck guard (bib style) and ankle protection. Protective eyewear
5244-401: The body. Glasses or goggles may also be worn so that the wind does not dry out the eyes. The oldest competition format still in place is the allround event, standardized in 1892 (see History above). Skaters skate four distances (for men: 500 m, 1500 m, 5000 m, and 10,000 m), and a ranking is made up based on the times skated on all of these distances. The method of scoring
5336-541: The curves have a radius of 25–26 m in the inner lane, and each lane is 3–4 m wide. These rinks have hosted international events (World Cups or international senior championships) since 2005. Of these, the rinks in Calgary (~1100 meters above sea level) and Kearns (Salt Lake City) (1402 m) are located at a high altitude, which is believed to enable faster times than lowland rinks, due to decreased air resistance, and also due to there being less oxygen to create bubbles in
5428-479: The first Olympic gold medal, though several Norwegians in attendance claimed Oskar Olsen had clocked a better time. Timing issues on the 500 were a problem within the sport until electronic clocks arrived in the 1960s; during the 1936 Olympic 500–metre race, it was suggested that Ivar Ballangrud's 500-metre time was almost a second too good. Finland won the remaining four gold medals at the 1924 Games, with Clas Thunberg winning 1,500 metres, 5,000 metres, and allround. It
5520-494: The first known skating club, The Skating Club of Edinburgh, was born, and, in 1763, the first speed skating race known in any detail was held from Wisbech to Whittlesey on the Fens in England for a prize sum of 20 guineas , won by John Lamb of Wisbech. While in the Netherlands, people began touring the waterways connecting the 11 cities of Friesland, a challenge which eventually led to
5612-559: The first official world record in 1929. Women's speed skating was not very high-profile; in Skøytesportens stjerner (Stars of the skating sport), a Norwegian work from 1971, no female skaters are mentioned on the book's nearly 200 pages, though they had by then competed for nearly 30 years. The women's long-track speed skating was since dominated by East Germany and later reunified Germany , who have won 15 of 35 Olympic gold medals in women's long-track since 1984. Artificial ice entered
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#17328697726585704-399: The following competitions at least five times in individual events. As its inclusion would place the athletes who have been active before 1996 at a significant disadvantage, World Single Distance Championships are not included as a primary component of the list, though individual achievements in that competition are noted when applicable. The team pursuit, introduced at the 2006 Olympics and
5796-502: The fore in 1889 with the organization of the first world championships. The ISU ( International Skating Union ) was also born in the Netherlands in 1892. By the start of the 20th century, skating and speed skating had come into its own as a major popular sporting activity. Organized races on ice skates developed in the 19th century. Norwegian clubs hosted competitions from 1863, with races in Christiania drawing five-digit crowds. In 1884,
5888-714: The gold medals in World Championships between the world wars, with Latvians and Austrians visiting the podium in the European Championships. At the time, North American races were usually conducted pack-style, similar to the marathon races in the Netherlands, but the Olympic races were to be held over the four ISU-approved distances. The ISU approved the suggestion that the 1932 Olympic speed skating competitions should be held as pack-style races, and Americans won all four gold medals. Canada won five medals, all silver and bronze, while defending World Champion Clas Thunberg stayed at home, protesting against this form of racing. At
5980-653: The heel, allowing the skater a more natural range of movement. This enables a longer stroke while keeping maximum contact with the ice. By the 1998 Winter Olympics , nearly all skaters used clap skates. Both traditional and clap skates use long and straight blades compared to many other ice skating sports. Blades are about 1 mm thick and typically come in lengths from 13 to 18 inches (33 to 46 cm). Most competitive athletes use lengths between 15 and 17 inches (38 and 43 cm), depending on body size and personal preference. The Viking skating factory in Holland still counts as
6072-575: The ice. The high altitude is believed to be part of the reason that the 2002 Salt Lake City games broke most of the previous speed-skating Olympic records. After the completion of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Richmond Olympic oval "will shed its long-track speed skating configuration for a multi-sport layout that will accommodate ice, track, court, paddling and fitness users". All four of these are high-altitude rinks. Many speed skating venues have ice hockey rinks or no ice area at all inside
6164-427: The long-track competitions with the 1960 Winter Olympics , and the competitions in 1956 on Lake Misurina were the last Olympic competitions on natural ice. 1960 also saw the first Winter Olympic competitions for women. Lidia Skoblikova won two gold medals in 1960 and four in 1964. More aerodynamic skating suits were also developed, with Swiss skater Franz Krienbühl (who finished 8th on the Olympic 10,000 m at
6256-424: The marathon races in the Netherlands, but the Olympic races were to be held over the four ISU-approved distances. The ISU approved the suggestion that the speed skating at the 1932 Winter Olympics should be held as pack-style races, and Americans won all four gold medals. Canada won five medals, all silver and bronze, while defending World Champion Clas Thunberg stayed at home, protesting against this form of racing. At
6348-454: The mass-start races. In the regulations of roller sports, eight different types of mass starts are described. Among them are elimination races, where one or more competitors are eliminated at fixed points during the course; simple distance races, which may include preliminary races; endurance races with time limits instead of a fixed distance; points races ; and individual pursuits. Races usually have rules about disqualification if an opponent
6440-445: The nearly 100 years since 1909, and, before artificial ice was available in 1962, national championships had been held in 25 of the years between 1887, when the first championship was held in Slikkerveer , and 1961. Since artificial ice became common in the Netherlands, Dutch speed skaters have been among the world top in long track ice skating and marathon skating. Another solution to still be able to skate marathons on natural ice became
6532-401: The only non-individual competition form, the team pursuit , two teams of each three to four skaters are allowed to race at once. Both teams remain in the inner lane for the duration of the race; they start on opposite sides of the rink. If four skaters are racing one skater is allowed to drop off and stop racing. The clock stops when the third skater crosses the finish line. The team pursuit is
6624-471: The only team race at the highest level of competition is the team pursuit , though athletics-style relay races are held at children's competitions. Relay races are also held in short track and inline competitions, but here exchanges may take place at any time during the race, though exchanges may be banned during the last couple of laps. Most speed skating races are held on an oval course, but there are exceptions. Oval sizes vary; in short track speed skating,
6716-448: The opportunity to skate the 10,000 m, but outside the top-level championships. The 500 m is usually skated with two runs, so that every skater has one race starting in the outer lane and one in the inner. This practice started with the first of the World Single Distance Championships in 1996, and with the 1998 Nagano Olympics; at all earlier Olympics, the 500 m was skated only once. The reason for skating this distance twice
6808-547: The oval. A few are suitable also for bandy , like Hamar Olympic Hall , [1] Ice Palace Krylatskoye , [2] and Medeu . [3] Beijing National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China, which was built for the 2022 Winter Olympics , is also designed appropriately for that sport. There is a growing cooperation between International Skating Union and Federation of International Bandy , since both have an interest in more indoor venues with large ice surfaces being built. In Norway there
6900-449: The plans of Olympic competition, and it was not until the winter sports week in Chamonix in 1924—retroactively awarded Olympic status—that ice speed skating reached the Olympic programme. Charles Jewtraw from Lake Placid, New York , won the first Olympic gold medal, though several Norwegians in attendance claimed Oskar Olsen had clocked a better time. Timing issues on the 500 m were
6992-414: The pragmatic and practical reason of allowing more skaters to complete their races inside a given amount of time. This involves having two pairs of skaters in the lanes at the same time, but with the second pair starting when the first have completed approximately half of the first lap. The skaters in the second pair will then wear yellow and blue arm bands instead of the usual white and red. Skaters race on
7084-454: The race is held. According to the NRC Handelsblad journalist Jaap Bloembergen, the country "takes a carnival look" during international skating championships, despite the fact that "people outside the country are not particularly interested." At the 1914 Olympic Congress, the delegates agreed to include long-track speed skating in the 1916 Olympics , after figure skating had featured in the 1908 Olympics. However, World War I put an end to
7176-481: The record stood for 17 years, and it took over 50 years to lower it by further half a minute. The Elfstedentocht was organized as a competition in 1909 and has been held at irregular intervals, whenever the ice on the course is deemed good enough. Other outdoor races developed later, with Friesland in the northern Netherlands hosting a race in 1917, but the Dutch natural ice conditions have rarely been conducive to skating. The Elfstedentocht has been held 15 times in
7268-414: The referee tells the athletes to " Go to the start ". Second, the referee cues the athletes to get "Ready", and waits until the skaters have stopped moving. Finally, the referee waits for a random duration between 1 and 1.5 seconds, and then fires the starting shot. Some argue that this inherent timing variability could disadvantage athletes that start after longer pauses, due to the alerting effect . In
7360-445: The remaining distance is not skated. In practice, the distance is so short that this rarely happens unless one team has a fall. The team pursuit is a new event in major international competitions. The event was introduced at international level at the world junior championships around the turn of the millennium, and to the World Cup in 2003, but it was not considered an official ISU event until around 2004, and eventually introduced at
7452-399: The rink must be an oval of 111.12 metres, while long track speed skating uses a similarly standardized 400 m rink. Inline skating rinks are between 125 and 400 metres, though banked tracks can only be 250 metres long. Inline skating can also be held on closed road courses between 400 and 1,000 metres, as well as open-road competitions where starting and finishing lines do not coincide. This
7544-468: The season, for each distance separately, at specially designated World Cup meets. More specifically, there is for each season a World Cup competition for the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, and combined 5,000 m and 10,000 m, for men; and for the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, and combined 3,000 m and 5,000 m, for women. Starting with the 2011/2012 season the ISU decided to crown one "Grand World Cup Winner" for Men and Ladies as
7636-485: The short-track speed skating branch, with mass start races on shorter tracks, in 1967, arranged international competitions from 1976, and brought them back to the Olympics in 1992. In the 1930s, women began to be accepted in ISU speed skating competitions. Although women's races had been held in North America for some time and competed at the 1932 Winter Olympics in a demonstration event, the ISU did not organise official competitions until 1936. However, Zofia Nehringowa set
7728-449: The team pursuit. The Olympic format is unusual in that it is a cup format, with several rounds of exclusion between two teams. In the World Cup and World Championships, one race is skated and the teams are ranked by their finishing time. In the Olympic format, a team that overtakes the other has automatically won the race and the remaining distance is not skated. In practice, the distance is so short that this rarely happens unless one team has
7820-407: The top long-track speed skaters and marathon skaters in the world. Another solution to still be able to skate marathons on natural ice became the Alternative Elfstedentocht. The Alternative Elfstedentocht races take part in other countries, such as Austria , Finland or Canada , and all top marathon skaters as well as thousands of recreative skaters travel from the Netherlands to the location where
7912-543: The world's biggest producer of clap skates. A lot of attention is given to air resistance . The rules demand that the suits follow the natural shape of the body, preventing the use of, e.g., drop shaped helmets (as seen in cycling) or more inventive "Donald Duck" costumes. However, a lot of time and money is spent developing fabrics, cuts and seams that will reduce drag. Some skaters use low (no thicker than 3 mm) "aerodynamic strips" attached to their suits. These are intended to create turbulent flow in certain areas around
8004-407: Was also born in the Netherlands in 1892. By the start of the 20th century, skating and speed skating had come into its own as a major popular sporting activity. The Elfstedentocht (Eleven Cities Tour) was organised as a competition in 1909 and has been held at irregular intervals whenever the ice on the course is deemed good enough. Other outdoor races developed later, with North Holland hosting
8096-588: Was beaten by Bobby McLean of Chicago , four-time American champion, in one of the races. Chicago was a centre of ice speed skating in America; the Chicago Tribune sponsored a competition called the Silver Skates from 1912 to 2014. In 1992, short track speed skating was accepted as an Olympic sport. Short track speed skating had little following in the long track speed skating countries of Europe, such as Norway,
8188-498: Was enforced. Peter Sinnerud was disqualified for professionalism in 1904 and lost his world title. Long track world records were first registered in imperial distances and since 1880 in metrical distances. The latter ones improved rapidly since their adoption as standard distances by the ISU, with Jaap Eden lowering the world 5000-metre record by half a minute during the Hamar European Championships in 1894. However,
8280-466: Was founded at a meeting of 15 national representatives in Scheveningen in 1892, the first international winter sports federation. The Nederlandse Schaatsrijderbond was founded in 1882 and organised the world championships of 1890 and 1891. Competitions were held around tracks of varying lengths—the 1885 match between Axel Paulsen and Remke van der Zee was skated on a track of 6/7 mile (1400 metres)—but
8372-526: Was not limited to the Netherlands and Scandinavia; in 1592, a Scotsman designed a skate with an iron blade. It was iron-bladed skates that led to the spread of skating and, in particular, speed skating. By 1642, the first official skating club, The Skating Club Of Edinburgh, was born, and, in 1763, the world saw its first official speed skating race, at Wisbech on the Fens in England for a prize sum of 70 guineas . While in
8464-402: Was the first and only time an allround Olympic gold medal has been awarded in speed skating. Speed Skating is also a sport in today's Olympics. Norwegian and Finnish skaters won all the gold medals in world championships between the world wars, with Latvians and Austrians visiting the podium in the European Championships. However, North American races were usually conducted pack-style, similar to
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