Speed Skating at the Olympics

Speed skating began in Holland in the 13th century as a form of transportation. Speed skating is both elegant and fast, with skaters reaching speeds of more than 60 kph (37 mph). Speed skating has been part of the Winter Olympics since they began




Canadian Clara Hughes Speed Skating at Turin Olympics

Robert Laberge / Getty Images

at Chamonix, France in 1924, although it was only the men then. Ladies' speed skating didn't become a full medal event until the Squaw Valley Winter Olympics in 1960.

How Speed Skating at the Olympics Works
Speed-skating at the Olympics takes place on a 400 m oval ice rink. The skaters compete in pairs. They skate in lanes, changing lanes once every lap to even out the distance covered. The athletes are timed electronically to one-hundredth of a second.

There are 12 speed skating events at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, six each for the men and ladies. The men's events are 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m and the team pursuit; the ladies' events are 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m and the team pursuit.

The team pursuit was introduced at the Turin Olympics in 2006. In the team pursuit two teams of three skaters compete. The team members take turns leading to take advantage of air currents. The race finishes when the last team member crosses the finish line. A series of elimination rounds leads to a final race.

Speed Skating Venue at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
All speed skating events at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are held at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Richmond, BC. The facility holds about 7,600 people.

Speed Skating Schedule at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
The speed skating events at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics begin on Saturday February 13 with the men's 5000 m event and go through to Saturday February 27 with both the men's and women's team pursuits. For detailed Vancouver Olympics speed skating schedules see:

Source:canadaonline.about.com/