Spotlight Sport - Speed Skating

Gateway to the Summer Games - Spotlight Sports

Speed Skating
Although archeologists in Scandinavia have relics that demonstrate primitive people glided over the ice using skates fashioned from animal bone and straps of leather, it was in the Netherlands that skating became a mode of transportation and national passion. Using the frozen canals for the track, speed skating became a winter past time and quickly gained in popularity across Europe. The first known skating competition is thought to have been a 15-meter race and took place in England on February 4, 1763.


		Competition \| Interesting Facts Learn More \| Other Sports \| Links

Competition
Speed skating has been part of the Olympics since the first Winter Games in 1924. At first, only men raced, but in 1960, four women's speed skating events were held at the Olympic Winter Games in Squaw Valley. The women's 5000 meter event was added to the Olympic program in Calgary in 1988, completing the 10 events that will be currently raced in Salt Lake City: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m. Each race (for both men and women) has a slightly different rule for winning. The 2002 Speed Skating events will be held in the 6,000 seat Utah Olympic Oval which is the world's highest-altitude indoor skating oval.

Interesting Facts

The International Skating Union (ISU) was founded in 1892 in Scheveningen, Netherlands, and has governed speed skating since its inception.
Speed skating giant, Eric Heiden (Madison, Wisconsin) produced the greatest single feat in Winter Olympic history when he won all five events at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics.
The only other person besides Heiden to sweep available speed skating medals was Lydia Skoblikova of the Soviet Union. Not only did she win double golds at Squaw Valley, she returned to Innsbruck in 1964 to win gold medals in the 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m and 3,000m events.
In the winter of 1997, klap skates were introduced. These skates featured a spring-loaded front hinge, which allowed skaters to raise their heels off the blade. The skate got its name from the clapping sound made when the blade reconnects with the metal base.
In 1960, Squaw Valley Winter Olympics, women’s speed skating events were added to the Olympic event roster.

To Learn More About Speed Skating

Visit the Official Salt Lake City Winter Olympics Web site to get all the facts, latest scores and a list of speed skating events.
At the home of the official U.S. Speed Skating Organization, there is a lot to discover about the sport.
This online version of Fitness and Speed Skating Magazine carries news, articles, results and subscription information.
Though this CBS Sports – Speed Skating page is focused on the 1998 Olympics in Japan, there is a lot to learn about speed skating at this Web site.
This Web site offers an extensive compilation of speed skating Web sites around the world.
The Utah Education Network has created a concise description of the sport and Olympic rules.

Other Winter Olympic Sports

Alpine Skiing	Bobsledding	Figure Skating	Ice Hockey

Luge	Ski Jumping	Speed Skating	Snowboarding

General Sports Links
Olympians will compete in dozens of sports this winter. Even though Gateway to the Winter Games can't feature them all, you can learn about each and every one by visiting the sites listed below.

Griffin Publishing Group's Official Olympic Sports page
This K-12 education Internet site is filled with Olympic facts, lesson plans, athlete profiles and more.
International Olympic Committee
This official site of the International Olympic Committee reports Olympic schedules and features an excellent Olympic History Museum.
CBS Sportsline's Olympics 2002
Get top news stories and in-depth features about every sport.
CCN/SI
In addition to news on every sport, this site contains athlete diaries.
NBCOlympics.com
Select a sport to study or hear firsthand from an athlete who plays it.
Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympics
This is the Official 2002 Winter Olympic site for Salt Lake. This site has schedules, sports outlines, athlete bios, and much more.
ESPN Salt Lake Winter Games 2002
Get a countdown to the games, with background on some of the different sports and the participating athletes.
United States Olympic Team
The United States Olympic Team site includes athlete bios, diaries, and pictures. Also, check out the exciting video and audio clips of the various athletes in action.

For information on purchasing Griffin materials, please visit the Griffin Publishing Group Web site at http://www.griffinpublishing.com.