SPEED SKATING (DISAMBIGUATION)

'Speed skating' or 'speedskating' is a competitive form of skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speedskating are long track speedskating, short track speedskating, inline speedskating (or ''inline racing''), marathon speed skating and quad speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long track speedskating is usually referred to as just ''speedskating'', while short track speedskating is known as ''short track''.^[1] The ISU, governing body of both ice sports, refers to long track as "speed skating" and short track as "short track speed skating".

Contents

Long track speed skating

Short track speed skating

Marathon speed skating

Inline skating

Quad speed skating

Books about speed skating

See also

References and notes

Further references

Long track speed skating

Main articles: Long track speed skating

Long track speed skating, one of two Olympic forms of the sport and the one with the longest history, is performed on ice. The sport enjoys large popularity in the Netherlands, though the United States have won the most Olympic medals in the sport. There are top international rinks in a number of countries, including Norway, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, China and Russia. A World Cup circuit is held with events in the two countries, and with two events in Thialf, the ice hall in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
The sport is described as ''long track'' in American usage because a 400m oval is used, as opposed to a 111m oval on a hockey rink in short track skating.
Races are exclusively held as time trials, with skaters starting in pairs or, in lower-level racing, in quartets. The skaters do one inner curve and one outer curve on each lap, changing on the back straight. There is thus no real need to standardise the inner radius of each curve, as long as the length of an outer plus an inner plus two straights equals 400 metres. The International Skating Union rules allow some leeway in the size and radius of curves.

Short track speed skating

Main articles: Short track speed skating

Short track skating is mass start racing on a smaller rink, normally the size of an ice hockey rink. Distances are shorter than in long track racing, with the longest Olympic race being the 1500 metres. Races are usually held as knockouts, 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.
The sport originates from packstyle events held in North America, and was officially sanctioned in the 1970s, becoming an Olympic sport in 1992.

Marathon speed skating

Main articles: Marathon speed skating

Ice marathon races, also known as ''packstyle'' races, are long distance races with mass start, where the first to complete a set number of laps wins (on an oval), or the first to the finish line wins (in case of outdoor races such as the Elfstedentocht)
Marathon races are not officially governed by the International Skating Union, but the Dutch skating federation organises races both in the Netherlands and abroad, due to the lack of natural ice in the Netherlands.

Inline skating

Main articles: Inline speed skating


Inline speed skating, also known as ''inline races'', is speed skating on inline skates. This is not an Olympic sport, though it is an aim of the International Roller Sports Federation, to bring the sport into the Olympic Games. There are many variants of competition, 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 knockout races, endurance races with time limits instead of a fixed distance, points races, individual pursuits, short time trials and relay races. Skaters are allowed some physical contact, but not intentional.

Quad speed skating

Books about speed skating

★ Dianne Holum: ''The Complete Handbook of Speed Skating'' (1984), ISBN 0-89490-051-X

★ USOC: ''A Basic Guide to Speed Skating'', Griffin Publishers - Torrance/Ca. (2002), ISBN 1-58000-087-8

★ Barry Publow: ''Speed on Skates'', Human Kinetics Publishers - Champaign, Ill. (1999), ISBN 0-88011-721-4

★ Matthias Opatz: ''Taschenfibel Eisschnelllauf'' (Pocketguide Speedskating), Lotok Publ. - Stedten-upon-Ilm/GER (2005), ISBN 3-939088-00-5

See also

★ List of speed skaters

★ Adelskalender

★ Speedskating World

References and notes

1. For example, see NBC's Olympics coverage

Further references

★ Roller Sports C. I. C. - Sport regulations, regulations of inline speed skating

★ Special regulations & Technical Rules Speed Skating and Short track speed skating 2006, regulations of the International Skating Union