What is the name of a person who skates? Speed ​​skating - distances and competitions at ISU championships. Myths and reality

It’s not for nothing that speed skating is called a sport for the strong and resilient. Willpower and the ability to concentrate are an excellent reward that every athlete receives. The ancient Cimmerians were the first to discover the benefits of ice skates. The peculiarities of modern skating competitions conceal many secrets that attract beginners.

Speed ​​skating - what is it?

Speed ​​skating is a sport in which the participant must complete a distance lap faster than others. Requires experience, an excellent sense of balance, the ability to calculate the speed of an opponent and correctly assess your capabilities. The first ice skating competitions were held in the winter of 1763 in England, and Mr. Lamb deservedly received the champion's gold medal.

The first records appeared in 1890, but it took about another hundred years to prepare participants for major competitions. Women's world championships appeared in 1936, and European ones - in 1970, at the same time everyone learned about the world championships in sprint all-around. And already at the beginning of the 21st century, a team pursuit race was announced.

Short track and speed skating - differences

Speed ​​skating and short track speed skating are separated, the latter translated meaning “short track”. Short track is a speed skating race that is competed in large stadiums. It recently became Olympic; the leadership currently remains with Asian countries. What is the difference between short track speed skating and speed skating?

  1. Different sizes of platforms. For short track speed skating, the track is 111 meters long, the sides are protected by a fence.
  2. The length of the circle. In short track speed skating it is smaller.
  3. Short track skates have a different sharpening system, they are very sharp, and the runners are curved to easily fit into turns.
  4. Speed ​​skaters perform on their own tracks, but short skaters have no division into tracks.

Speed ​​skating rules

Modern speed skating is represented by individual and team competitions. Features of individual competitions:

  • speed skaters compete in pairs;
  • the race takes place on two tracks;
  • All races are held once, only the distance of half a kilometer is held twice.

Team race rules:

  • teams compete in “threes”;
  • periodically the leading races change;
  • the competition is considered completed when the last member of the group crosses the finish line;
  • if the participant fell near the finish line, the time of completion of the distance;
  • is recorded when his skates cross the finishing line.

In both individual and team competitions it is prohibited:

  • make a second false start in pairs;
  • cut the lines that separate the tracks;
  • interfere with your opponent during the exchange of lanes.

Speed ​​skating - pros and cons

According to doctors, speed skating and health are very closely related, and it is especially useful for the physiological development of children. Positive points:

  1. Improves the functioning of the lungs and blood vessels.
  2. , helps prevent colds.
  3. Improves coordination of movements and the ability to navigate in space.

There are much fewer negative points:

  1. Receiving serious injuries: dislocations and fractures.
  2. Girls have deformed legs due to overly inflated muscles.

Speed ​​skating - benefits

Ice skating has always been especially valued for developing an excellent sense of balance in athletes. Both doctors and coaches note the positive impact of speed skating on coordination. It also gives other, no less useful bonuses:

  • trains flexibility and agility;
  • develops the muscles of the lower body;
  • improves the body's resistance to infections;
  • gives a great mood, thanks to the production of endorphins, which are called;
  • eliminates cellulite, an hour of skating burns up to 500 calories.

Speed ​​skating - contraindications

According to statistics, the phrase “skating – injuries” is the most typical. High speed of movement, collisions with opponents, and sliding on ice become the main causes of fractures and dislocations in athletes. Taking these features into account, doctors have formulated a number of contraindications for which speed skating is not recommended:

  • joint diseases;
  • weak immunity;
  • bone deformation;
  • diseases of the nervous and vascular system.

Speed ​​skating equipment

An important aspect is good equipment, the main component of which is skates. Experts note that a lot depends on the correctly chosen model, which is why special skates have been developed for ice racing; professionals order shoes for blades separately, based on casts of the feet. To create the best racing suit, aerodynamic studies of various fabrics were carried out and many world-famous manufacturers continue to work on improving their models. From the available arsenal, athletes recommend choosing the following equipment:

  1. Skates. The best skates for speed skating are valves, in which the blade is fixed with a spring hinge in order to push off harder and develop greater speed.
  2. Overalls. A speed skating suit is tailored to the figure so that it fits the athlete tightly, but does not restrict movement. Inserts that interfere with the fit are prohibited.
  3. Speed ​​skating glasses. Several pairs are selected, the color of the lenses depends on the weather: gold plated for the sun, pink for cloudy weather. There must be a mirror coating that protects the eyes. The best frame is made of thermopolyurethane, the seal is three-layered: hard, dense, soft and thin with microfleece.

Interesting facts about speed skating have been preserved:

  1. The Siberians assembled equipment for ice skating from walrus bones, the Kazakhs from horse bones, and the Chinese used bamboo.
  2. The first tournament is mentioned in the book “Chronicle of the Noble City of London” by monk Stephanius, published in 1174.
  3. Tsar Peter 1 brought skates for Russians; people adapted them for movement on icy streets.

Speed ​​skating stars

In the Soviet Union, speed skating competitions were first held in 1918, and 5 years later the classic all-around competitions started. Soviet skating runners made their mark for the first time at the 7th Olympics and won 7 prizes. The most outstanding achievements of women:

  1. Recognized as the first champion of the Soviet Union Maria Isakova, who won the world championship three times.
  2. Lidia Skoblikova received the title of 6-time Olympic champion.

The most outstanding successes of men:

  1. For the first time, a Soviet athlete won Olympic gold Igor Malkov.
  2. Skater Nikolay Gulyaev received the highest awards of the European and world championships.
  3. Honorary titles of world and Olympic champions were awarded at different times Valery Muratov, Sergey Marchuk, Evgeny Kulikov, Tatyana Averina.

Skating is one of the oldest northern pastimes, which over time has become an exciting and high-tech sport. Skating has been included in the Winter Olympic program since the very first Games in 1924. In Vancouver, 12 sets of medals will be competed for in skating - six each for men and women.

Olympic tournament regulations

A total of 180 athletes will participate. Ten men and women can be entered into the race from each country. Teams can field four skaters for short distances, and three for long distances.

Competitions are held in the following events - 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 5000 m (3000 m for women), 10000 m (5000 m for women) and team pursuit.

Russian team

Quotas

Women: 500 meters - 4, 1000 meters - 4, 1500 meters - 4, 3000 meters - 3, 5000 meters - 1 and team in the pursuit race.

Men: 500 meters - 4, 1000 meters - 4, 1500 meters - 4, 5000 meters - 2, 10,000 meters - 2. The team did not receive a license in the pursuit race.

Men: Evgeny Lalenkov, Dmitry Lobkov, Alexey Esin, Ivan Skobrev, Alexander Rumyantsev, Alexander Lebedev, Timofey Skopin, Sergey Chadayev.

Women: Yulia Nemaya, Ekaterina Malysheva, Olga Fatkulina, Ekaterina Shikhova, Ekaterina Lobysheva, Svetlana Vysokova, Galina Likhacheva, Svetlana Kaykan, Ekaterina Abramova, Alla Shabanova, Yulia Skokova.

The standard length of the ice track on an indoor skating rink is 400 meters. The direction of movement along the oval is counterclockwise. Two athletes start at the same time. The goal is to show the best time among all the skaters.

In the 500 m sprint, skaters start from the same line at the beginning of the starting line and finish the distance, covering one lap, on the same line, only at its end. The result is the sum of the seconds shown in the two races. In the first race, pairs are formed by lot, in the second - according to the results.

The 1000 m race is different in that athletes begin the race with a so-called staggered start, where the skater on the inside track starts behind. Lanes are exchanged twice during the race. In the 1500 m race, the skaters change tracks three times, and the starting order is the same as for the 1000 m. Long distance races are held according to the same principle - the number of laps increases and the tracks change more often.

The team pursuit race deserves special attention. In it, two teams of three skaters start on opposite sides of the rink. Men complete eight laps (3200 m), women complete six (2400 m). The team whose last participant completes the distance first wins. If during the race one of the teams catches up with at least one competitor, then it wins. Competitions are held on a knockout basis, starting with the quarterfinals.

Only one false start is allowed in each race. The culprit of the second will be disqualified. Also, an athlete may be disqualified by the judges if he steps out of his lane and thereby interferes with an opponent. A participant who is prevented by an opponent from completing the distance or creates an obstacle on it has the right to a second attempt. The best result will count towards him.

Speed ​​skating is one of the modern popular sports. There are different types depending on the distance covered. But the general rules and principles are the same for everyone. Therefore, to understand the issue, it is enough to know what speed skating is.

Speed ​​skating is an Olympic sport. In it, the main goal is to skate a certain distance faster than your opponents. According to modern rules, it is a vicious circle. At the same time, two athletes overcome it; a group of qualified judges monitors their race and records the time it took them to complete the race. The athlete who runs the track faster than the rest is declared the winner of the competition.

History of origin and development

The first written mentions of the appearance of footwear date back to the medieval period. But there is evidence that people were skating as early as 1000 BC.

Therefore, speed skating can rightfully be considered one of the oldest. It first received the status of a competition already in the 18th century. According to historical chronicles, the first rules for holding competitions were established in 1772. But at the same time it was called skating. The name of this sport was invented only later after the rules were written.

Over the next 100 years, speed skating developed in Russia, America and England and basically did not go beyond the borders of these countries. But until 1842, speed skaters competed exclusively on the ice of open reservoirs, until the first artificial skating rink was filled. And already in 1889 the first international speed skating competitions took place. The winner was the Russian athlete Alexander Panshin. After this, Russia created its own skating union, and the sport was actively developed.

Similar things happened all over the world, the International Skating Union was created, and competitions at various levels were regularly held. And finally, with the creation of the Winter Olympic Games, speed skating became one of the main competitions.

Speed ​​skating rules

Since the creation of speed skating, its rules have undergone changes several times:

  1. Only two athletes are on the track at a time.
  2. The movement proceeds counterclockwise along a circular track.
  3. After completing the circle, the skaters change lanes. This is done in order to neutralize the advantage of the athlete who runs on the inside of the track.
  4. While changing lanes, it is strictly forbidden to interfere with your partner; violation of this rule is punishable by disqualification.
  5. At the start there is a starter judge who monitors the correct start of the race. In case of a false start, the results of the race are canceled and it is re-run; after the third false start, the athlete is disqualified.
  6. Athletes who showed the same time, according to the results of the race, occupy the same places; a repeated race is unacceptable.
  7. Three athletes participate in team races, they ride on the inner track.
  8. Check-in time is fixed according to the last participant.

Speed ​​skating track

The speed skating track has an oval shape with a strip of ice 400 meters long. The straight sections of the track are about 100 meters long, and the turning radius is in various cases 25-26 meters.

On one of the straight sections of the track there is an area for changing lanes between athletes on each lap.

Judging

At all speed skating competitions, compliance with the rules is monitored by a large group of judges, consisting of:

  • referee and his assistants;
  • a starter with assistants who monitor the start;
  • judge recording the finish;
  • chronometer, automatic and manual;
  • lap counter;
  • a transition judge monitoring the change of lanes between athletes;
  • judges on the track stand at every turn and monitor compliance with the rules;
  • reserve judges;
  • an expert monitoring the condition of the ice.

Speed ​​skating competition

At the moment, competitions among speed skaters are held at different levels every year:

  1. National Championships.
  2. World Championships.
  3. Europe championship.
  4. World Cup.

And once every four years, the most prestigious competitions for speed skating are held - the Winter Olympic Games.

Short track and speed skating: differences

It arose historically later than speed skating, and for a long time was considered one of its varieties. But recently it separated and is now considered an independent species. In it, athletes also run counterclockwise along an icy track and compete to see who can reach the finish line the fastest. But still, these sports have fundamental differences:

  1. The length of the track is 111.12 m with a turning radius of 8 m.
  2. Races are short distance only and there are no long distance races of 5000m and 10000m.
  3. Up to 6 athletes can be on the track at the same time.
  4. There is no division into tracks. There are also no requirements for the mandatory movement of athletes along the track; they have the right to independently make decisions about how and along what trajectory they should move.
  5. for short track they are sharpened differently to better fit into the turn. At the same time, they have a fundamentally different design; the blade is rigidly fixed in them.

Speed ​​skating: pros and cons

  • development of coordination;
  • increasing endurance;
  • strengthening immunity;
  • improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
  • girls who are professionally involved in speed skating may experience deformation of their legs due to the heavy load on them;
  • traumatic.

Speed ​​skating: benefits

Any type of skating develops a person's sense of balance and coordination, including speed skating. It also helps improve flexibility and dexterity and has health benefits.

Attention! Therefore, this sport is well suited for weak children, it allows them to develop and improve their natural skills.

Speed ​​skating: contraindications

Speed ​​skating is quite traumatic, so doctors do not recommend it for people who have musculoskeletal disorders, bone defects and increased bone fragility.

In addition, it is prohibited for people with weakened immune systems, problems with the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and joint diseases.

Speed ​​skating equipment

In speed skating, special skates are used - valves. They differ from ordinary ones in that the blade is attached to the boot using a spring hinge and only in the front part. This allows you to increase the skating phase and the athlete. In addition, flap skates give athletes more maneuverability and help them pay more attention to their skating technique.

Boots and blades for them are made separately. Boots should perfectly follow the shape of the foot and fit comfortably on the foot. As a rule, boots are sold unfinished and require thermal adjustment to the shape of the foot. For professional athletes, boots are immediately made according to the anatomical features of the feet.

The overalls in which the athlete performs must follow the contours of his body as much as possible in order to improve aerodynamics and increase running speed. Any inserts into the suit that change the shape of the body are strictly prohibited by the rules of speed skating.

In order to protect against injury, it also necessarily includes a helmet made to the shape of the skater’s head, and optional protection for the elbows and shins.

Speed ​​skating stars

Russia

The first outstanding speed skater in Russia was Alexander Panshin. It was he who gave the start to the active development of this sport in our country. Panshin became the first world and Russian champion and set a world record in the 1500-meter speed skating race at the championship in Prague. After which he began to improve the shape and design of speed skating skates.

Another honored Russian speed skater is Yakov Melnikov. During his active sports activities, he set 27 national records and is a multiple champion of Russia and the world.

The first female speed skater from Russia to achieve outstanding results is Maria Isakova. She held the title of world champion for three years in a row. In 1951 she set a new world record at a distance of 1500 meters. She was the first among Russian athletes to take part in international competitions and showed the best results there.

During the first Winter Olympic Games, held in 1956 in Italy, Soviet speed skaters won 4 gold medals. The following athletes received them: Yuri Mikhailov, Evgeniy Grishin, Boris Shilkov. Evgeniy Grishin subsequently became an Olympic champion three more times.

In 1984, a 10,000-meter speed skating marathon was held, and for the first time the Soviet athlete Igor Malkov won it.

The leaders of speed skating in modern Russia are Ivan Skobrev and Denis Yuskov.

Ivan set two national records at distances of 5,000 and 10,000 meters. He became the champion of Russia and the world many times.

Denis Yuskov is a three-time world champion in the 1500 meters, he received two World Cups in 2016 and 2018. He is the current Russian record holder at a distance of 1500 meters. He actively continues to participate in competitions and reach new heights.

Among the world powers in speed skating, the USA, Canada, Japan and the Republic of Korea have achieved success.

For example, Korean Lee Sang-hwa has been the absolute leader in the women's 500 meters for the last few years and holds the world record.

Heather Richardson Bergsma, a native of the United States, set the world record for women at a distance of 1000 meters. Also in 2011, she won the World Cup at this distance. At the same time, she started speed skating at the age of 18, but this did not stop her from achieving high results.

Nao Kodaira is a Japanese speed skater. She won a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the 1000 meter team race and set a new women's record for this distance.

Ted-Jan Bloemen competes for the Netherlands and has won the world title three times in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. At the Olympic Games in 2018, he won a silver medal, losing to the Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer.

Sven Kramer is one of the most titled modern speed skaters. He has 19 World Championship medals at individual distances and 9 all-around medals.

Speed ​​skating is one of the leading sports of our time. He raised many famous people. It is prestigious and honorable to engage in it; in addition, playing sports will strengthen the immune system, develop muscle strength, agility and endurance.

Distances at the World All-Around Championships: women - 500, 3000, 1500 and 5000m; men - 500, 5000, 1500 and 10000m.

The World All-Around Championships are held over 2 or 3 days. This is determined by the championship organizers, who are obliged to consult with the ISU Sports Directorate. The order of running the distances may be as follows (this must be agreed upon with the ISU technical committee):

A B WITH D E
1st day 500m-men
500m-women
5000m-men
500m-women
3000m-women
500m-men
5000m-men
500m-women
500m-men
3000m-women
5000m-men
500m-men
5000m-men
2nd day 1500m-women
1500m-men
3000m-women
1500m-women
5000m-women
500m-men
5000m-men
1500m-men
10000m-men
500m-women
3000m-women
1500m-women
1500m-men
5000m-women
10000m-men
500m-women
1500m-men
3000m-women
3rd day 5000m-women
10000m-men
1500m-men
10000m-men
1500m-women
5000m-women
1500m-women
10000m-men
5000m-women

The order of distances in program “D” and the order of distances (only on the second day) in program “B” and “C”, at the discretion of the organizers and with the approval of the ISU technical committee, can be changed.

Europe championship

Distances at the European All-Around Championships: women - 500, 3000, 1500 and 5000m; men - 500, 5000, 1500 and 10000m.

The European Championship is held over 2 or 3 days. This is determined by the organizers in consultation with the ISU Sports Directorate. The procedure for conducting distances using one of five programs, the choice of which the organizers must agree with the ISU technical committee.

World Sprint Championship

Distances at the World Sprint Championship: 500 and 1000m for women and men. Both of these distances are run on both the first and second days of the competition.

World Junior Championships

  • Women: 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000 m (four all-around distances).
  • Men: 500, 1500, 3000 and 5000m (four all-around distances).
  • Team competition for women - pursuit race for 6 laps. National teams consisting of 3 speed skaters participate.
  • Team competition for men - pursuit race for 8 laps. National teams consisting of 3 skaters participate.
  • Competitions at separate distances for women: 2 × 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000m.
  • Competitions at separate distances for men: 2 × 500, 1000, 1500 - 5000m.
  • The World Junior Championships are held over 3 days.

The order of distances can be as follows:

At distances of 3000m for women and 5000m for men, races are held in quartets.

World Single Distance Championships

Distances:

  • For women: in individual competitions - 500, 1000, 1500, 3000 and 5000m; in team competitions – a pursuit race of 6 laps for national teams consisting of 3 speed skaters.
  • For men: in individual competitions – 500,1000,1500,5000 and 10000m; in team competitions – pursuit race for 8 laps for national teams consisting of 3 skaters.

The 500m distance is run twice for women and men. The winner is determined by the sum of the results of the two races.

The championship is held over 4 days. Order of distances:

Distances for starting quartets

At ISU Championships the following distances may be competed in quartets:

  • 3000m for women;
  • 5000m for women and men;
  • 10000m for men.

Distances at the Olympic Winter Games.

  • women - 500,1000,1500,3000 and 5000m;
  • men - 500, 1000, 1500, 5000 and 10000m;
  • women (national team 3 people) - team pursuit 6 laps;
  • men (national team 3 people) - team pursuit 8 laps.

The 500m distance is run twice for women and men. The final results are determined by the sum of the times of the two races. Both races are held over one day for women and one day for men.

The program and procedure for conducting distances at the Olympic Winter Games are determined by the national federation of the country where they are held. This program must be approved by the ISU Council.

Based on this, the order of competitions at the distances will be as follows: 5000m - men, 3000m - women, 500m - men, 500m - women, 1000m - men, 1000m - women, 1500m - men, 1500m - women, 10000m - men, 5000m - women. Team pursuit competitions must take place after all individual distances have been completed.

10.11.2016

SKATING: FASTER THE WIND

“Klap-klap” is their global brand. Watching how speed skaters - no, not running - fly low over the snow-white ice is something that probably everyone loves. Powerful bodies of athletes, indescribable grace of movements, intensity of passions. One of the most ancient sports is still loved and revered.

You can't imagine anything more ancient

Well, everyone probably knows this from the very cradle, but I’ll still say: speed skating (translated from English as speed skating) is a sport where athletes must cover a given distance in a closed circle as quickly as possible. Archaeologists claim that speed skating is one of the oldest sports on the planet. The first skates excavated in one of the expeditions are already 3,200 years old, and they belonged to a nomadic tribe from the Northern Black Sea region. For example, ice skating is depicted in a painting from 1380. But the first club was invented already on the islands - in Great Britain, in 1742, the first official competitions were held there, only in 1763. The systematic development of speed skating took place around the middle of the 19th century. Around the same time, the first flood skating rinks began to appear (before that, speed skaters competed only on natural reservoirs).

The first world championship also took place in the 19th century and took place in Amsterdam. In 1892, the International Skating Union (ISU) was organized, which today includes 60 national federations from around the world. In 1895, the ISU, by the way, approved the Unified Rules for Speed ​​Skating.

The popular sport of speed skating was included in the program of the Olympic Games almost immediately after their revival in a modern interpretation - in 1924, for men. Then the following distances were included: 500, 1500, 5000, 10000 meters and all-around. Women athletes joined men in 1960.

Speed ​​skating here

The debut of Soviet speed skaters was triumphant: they started at the Olympics for the first time in 1956 - and immediately won 7 prizes. The first Soviet world champion, Maria Isakova, won the world championship three times in a row and won three Olympic medals. In 1957, Soviet athletes won 13 out of 15 possible prizes at the XV Women's World Championships in Finland in Imatra. In the capital of the Olympics, Innsbruck 1964, Lidia Skoblikova won four distances. As for the stronger sex, the first Soviet Olympic winner in this discipline was Igor Malkov in Sarajevo - this was in 1984.

How are they running today?

Over the centuries, classical skating has, so to speak, settled down into the following forms:

  • all-around
  • individual distances (including pursuit)
  • sprint competitions
  • short track

The oldest of all the above formats is the all-around. The traditional distances here are 500, 1500, 5000 and 10000 meters. Points are awarded for each race, each second is worth 1,000 points. The time at other distances is divided by how much longer it is than 500 meters, then the number of points is calculated (using the same system as for 500 meters) and added to the sum of points received for the previous distances. The best, accordingly, will be the athlete who scores the minimum amount. In classical all-around, European and world championships, national championships, and competitions within the framework of the Olympics are held.

At certain distances, speed skaters run 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 meters (women), and 5,000 and 10,000 meters only for men. In addition, there is a team pursuit race. In order to equalize the chances of runners, two races have been held at a distance of 500 meters since 1996. Each skater must start on both the inner and outer tracks. As for the team pursuit, only one women's and one men's team per country are entered into it. Two teams consisting of three skaters enter the race; the weaker sex runs six laps, the strong - eight. In this discipline, national championships, the World Cup and Olympic competitions are held, world and European championships, the World Cup, national championships, and it is also included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Sprint races, in full accordance with the name, are held over short distances - 500 and 1000 meters, twice for each distance. The results are calculated using the same system as in the all-around. Sprinters compete at national and world championships. In addition, there are starts for 100 meters, a mile, and also in the speed skating marathon.

Short track speed skating hosts world and European championships, the World Cup, national championships, and is also included in the program of the Olympic Games.

About the rules

The classic version of a track in speed skating is an oval with a droshky length of either 400 or 333.3 meters. The skating rink is usually divided into two tracks: outer and inner. One of the straight parts of the distance is necessarily a transitional one; each athlete is required to change lanes on each lap (except for the mass start). Skaters run counterclockwise; if they are close to each other on the transition straight, the one running on the inside must give way. In case of a false start, the start is repeated, but if a false start occurs again, the culprit is disqualified.

Equipment

In this sport, people run in special overalls that perfectly fit the body for aerodynamics. Athletes often wear protective helmets that follow the shape of the head (not aerodynamic). Skaters run on special skates with the sonorous name “klapa”, so nicknamed for the characteristic sound they make when skating. The fact is that they are equipped with a blade with a hinge in the front and a spring in the back. This way the blade can move back and forth relative to the boot. When it returns after the athlete pushes back to the boot, this very “clap” is heard.

By the way, in short track racing, valves are strictly prohibited, and much more protective equipment is required than in classic racing.

Curious trivia

In classic speed skating, a runner is awarded a result if his skate crosses the finish line. Then even if the grass does not grow - even if he fell, but came with the best time, he will be considered the winner. Different disciplines of speed skating require different ice; the quality of adhesion to the surface, strength, and the possibility of chipping depend on its temperature. Therefore, in figure skating the temperature is set from -3 to -5°C, in short track speed skating - up to -6°C, for hockey matches - from -6 to -8°C, and on speed skating tracks - from -7°C From (for sprinters) to -10°C (for stayer races).

I think now that you understand the intricacies of speed skating, watching it and cheering for the athletes will become even more interesting!

Dmitry Long-awaited