The sport of speed skating involves opposing teams of skaters racing around an oval ice rink in pairs, individual or team events. According to the Speed Skating Canada website, modern speed skating, or "long track," debuted in 1924 at the first Winter Olympics and has continued to be a highlighted event. Speed skaters are easily recognized by their skating stance; they skate in a low crouch with their arms behind them resting on their lower back. This position limits air resistance and allows the skaters a longer and more forceful push off the ice.
Early Ice Skates
As reported on the online Canadian Encyclopedia, mentions of ice skating were first found in literature in the 12th century. In Scandinavia and the Netherlands, men skated across frozen rivers on animal bones laced to their shoes. In the 14th century, ice skaters in Holland adapted the crude animal bone skate to one made of wood with flat iron blades. Skaters in Holland glided through canals with poles in each hand for better control. In the early 1500s, the dutch fitted skates with a double-edged blade and no longer needed the cumbersome poles.
Speed Skating Emerges
Ice skating grew in popularity during the 17th and 18th centuries thanks to the addition of all-iron blades to skates. The Speed Skating Canada website states that the first organized speed skating competition was held in England in 1763. The sport then landed in North America and in 1850, speed skates were adapted with a lighter, longer and sharper steel blade. At the end of the 19th century, speed skating was a popular sport in many parts of Europe and North America. Speed skating entered into the Olympics in 1924 with the long track event. In 1988, short-track speed skating made its Olympic debut in a demonstration event.
Unique Attributes
Modern speed skates have blades that are 38 to 45 cm long and around 1.25 mm thick, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia website. The blade is made from tempered carbon steel and has only the slightest of curves when compared with figure or hockey skates. This design allows speed skaters to skate in straight lines with long, powerful glides.
Clap Skate Controversy
As reported in a 1998 article on SFGate.com, the speed skating world was rocked by the introduction of the "clap" skate in 1997. Clap skates were credited for upsets in world record rankings by elevating no-name skaters into world class skaters. On a clap skate, the blade is attached to the boot only at the toe, and is hinged. Since the back of the blade isn't attached to the boot, the skater's heel can lift up during a forward stride. This allows the blade to stay on the ice longer. When the skater put his heel back down, the blade snaps back into the heel slot and makes a "clapping" sound. Traditionally, speed skaters are trained to push off at their heel, but clap skaters are taught the opposite, which is believed by some to be a sloppy technique for which skaters shouldn't be rewarded.
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