11 Exciting Fun Facts About Speed Skating You Never Knew!

1. Speedy Penguins on Ice

Penguins might be the kings of waddling, but when humans strap on skates, they become the speed demons of ice and asphalt: In short track speed skating, athletes can hit speeds of 35 mph (56 kph), while the fastest downhill inline skater ever recorded reached a mind-blowing 77 mph (124 kph).
Source => inlineskateworld.com

2. 1924 All-Boys Club Olympics

Gentlemen, start your skates! It was an all-boys club at the rink in 1924: At the Winter Olympics that year, five speed skating events took place, but they were open only to male competitors. Charles Jewtraw snagged the first gold, while Clas Thunberg and Roald Larsen went on a medal frenzy, scooping up prizes in all five events – with Thunberg bagging three golds.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Did you know Tonya Harding's triple axel made her the first American woman to conquer this challenging jump in competition? Discover more figure skating feats! 🌟⛸️

=> Fun Facts about Figure-Skating

3. Secret Speed Skater Training

Speed skaters may not be "leg day" gym enthusiasts, but they sure know how to get their glutes in gear and amp up their energy levels: The secret to their success lies in highly tailored, methodical training that focuses on specific muscle groups and energy systems used in racing, using techniques like skating in basic position, dryland imitations, and interval training.
Source => ellismethod.net

4. Sashimi-Slicing Skate Blades

When speed skates aren't moonlighting as master chefs slicing through the finest sashimi delicacies, these steel-bladed wonders are busy ruling the icy realms: Fun fact, speed skate blades are made of high-tempered carbon steel and measure 40 to 48 centimeters (16 to 19 inches) in length with a mere 1.1 millimeter (0.04 inch) thickness, enabling effortless glides and swift strides on the ice.
Source => nbcolympics.com

5. Aerodynamic Racing Suits

They say clothes make the man, but in speed skating, it's all about shaving off those milliseconds in a race against time: Turns out a speed skating suit can heavily influence a skater's performance by reducing air resistance and drag, demonstrated by the 2014 Under Armour Mach 39 suit, which despite its aerodynamic design, couldn't quite raise the US athletes to victory.
Source => sportstechnologyblog.com

6. Dutch Domination on Ice

In a small country with a big affinity for frozen water, the Dutch sure know how to put the "ice" in "nice": The Netherlands has claimed 121 out of the 569 Olympic speed skating medals (21.3%) awarded since 1924, with the un-irene-y of Irene Wust winning 11 of those shiny accolades!
Source => expatinfoholland.nl

7. Record-Breaking High-Altitude Hotspots

Need to break the ice on a first date in Salt Lake City or Calgary? Just bring up their soaring status in the world of speed skating: These high-altitude hotspots are ideal for smashing world records due to their thinner air, which makes zooming around the rink at lightning-fast speeds a breeze – or lack thereof!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

8. Flash Gordon Meets Frozen

When Flash Gordon meets Frozen: speed skaters have been known to zip, zoom, and blitz their way across the ice at mind-bending speeds: The current men's world record holder raced the 500-meter distance in just 33.87 seconds, reaching speeds over 53 km/h, while the women's 1000-meter record stands at a blistering 1:12.51, all on a standard 400-meter indoor rink, where the only chilling thing is the ice beneath their skates.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Double Push Inline Hustle

Next time you're feeling the need for speed, consider taking a page out of the speed skater's handbook and do the double push hustle: In inline speed skating, skaters use a double push technique, taking two pushes in each stroke, to save energy and maintain a low, aerodynamic posture, ideal for outdoor racing and indoor straightaways.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Nils van der Poel's Fitness Roulette

Picture this: a world-class speed skater who trains like he's being chased by Usain Bolt on Pegasus! This ice glider extraordinaire trades the rink for a cornucopia of land sports, spinning a wild game of fitness roulette before zeroing in on the chilly prize: Nils van der Poel's winning strategy involves a "purified aerobic season" of biking, running, cross-country skiing, and skimo, followed by threshold intervals and a race-specific speed development phase. This focused overreaching and tapering ultimately carve out his path to speed skating success.
Source => trailrunnermag.com

11. Skate-athlon: Mass Start Mayhem

Pouring more Olympians onto the ice than you can shake a skate at: in the thrilling Mass Start speed skating race, up to 24 athletes simultaneously compete on the ice for 16 laps, earning sprint points during intermediate sprints and the final dash, with the first three skaters to cross the finish line bagging gold, silver, and bronze.
Source => nbcolympics.com