The ice screeches as Olympic gods glide across the shimmering surface at over 40 mph. These champions handle the turns with ease, but one slip can turn into crushed dreams and dangerous injuries. Their legs are screaming. Their lungs are on fire. Their spirit is burning. This has been the scene of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Speed Skating Competitions for the last week, and the Dutch have been taking the majority of the medals.
Speed skating has been around for a long time. It was created in the 13th century by the Dutch (imagine that) as a way of communication. The Dutch would build canals that would freeze and allow them to skate from village to village. The sport was part of the first ever Winter Olympics in 1924 Chamonix, France, but only men were allowed to participate at that time. However, after the Lake Placid games in 1932, women joined the sport.
The objective of speed skating is simple; beat your opponent across the finish line. Yet, there are some technical rules that one must keep in my mind during the races. Speed skating is broken into heats, where 2 competitors race at a time. Each racer gets a 25 meter wide lane and must switch back and forth on each lap between the inner and outer lane. This ensures that both racers travel the same distance. Crossing over to other lanes can be dangerous and can sometimes generate falls. Due to the danger, racers in the outer lane have the right-of-way to get over. First racer to cross the finish line wins.
This sport is fast and intense, so make sure you read up on my articles where I cover the entire Men’s 5000 meter race and the Women’s 3000 meter race. Also, make sure to check out the other Sochi Speed Skating highlights attached to the Women’s article.
Sources:
Olympic.org – Official Site of the Olympic Movement
Yahoo Sports – Rules for Speed Skating at the Winter Olympics