ABOUT
It is believed that skates were developed about 3000 years ago in Scandinavia. In the Netherlands, skating served as a way to travel over the canals in winter and the Dutch are still among the world's most avid skaters.
Although the Netherlands is the birthplace of speed skating, the first known skating competition is thought to have been held in 1676. Competitions sprung up across the northern part of Europe shortly after, but 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 the Dutch, Russians, Americans and English.
Speed Skating has been a part of the Olympic programme since the 1st Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix Mont Blanc in 1924. Originally only men participated, but women's events were included in the 1960 Squaw Valley Games.
COMPETITION
Speed skating at the Olympic Games consists of ten events: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m for both woman and men, 3000m for women, 10,000m for men, and Team pursuit for women and men.
All events are skated once, with the exception of the men's and women's 500 metres, which are skated twice.
The final result is based on the total time of the two races.
In each event, skaters race in pairs against the clock on a standard 400m oval. Athletes are timed to a hundredth of a second as they skate counter-clockwise around the oval.
It is believed that skates were developed about 3000 years ago in Scandinavia. In the Netherlands, skating served as a way to travel over the canals in winter and the Dutch are still among the world's most avid skaters.
Although the Netherlands is the birthplace of speed skating, the first known skating competition is thought to have been held in 1676. Competitions sprung up across the northern part of Europe shortly after, but 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 the Dutch, Russians, Americans and English.
Speed Skating has been a part of the Olympic programme since the 1st Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix Mont Blanc in 1924. Originally only men participated, but women's events were included in the 1960 Squaw Valley Games.
COMPETITION
Speed skating at the Olympic Games consists of ten events: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m for both woman and men, 3000m for women, 10,000m for men, and Team pursuit for women and men.
All events are skated once, with the exception of the men's and women's 500 metres, which are skated twice.
The final result is based on the total time of the two races.
In each event, skaters race in pairs against the clock on a standard 400m oval. Athletes are timed to a hundredth of a second as they skate counter-clockwise around the oval.
LIST OF EVENTS *
- - 10000m Men
- 1000m Men
- 1500m Men
- 5000m Men
- 500m Men
- Team pursuit Men
- - 1000m Women
- 1500m Women
- 3000m Women
- 5000m Women
- 500m Women
- Team pursuit Women
* On the Programme of the XX Olympic Winter Games, Torino 2006
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