National College „Vasile Alecsandri”

Long track speed skating in USA

Advisor: Student:
Ioana Pecheanu Daniela Ilascu 12A

May 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………
………………………3
2. The history of speed
skating…………………………………………………………………………….4
3. The equipment
3.1.
Skates…………………………………………………………………………………………
………..7
 3.2. Skin
suite……………………………………………………………………………………………
..9
4. Competition
format………………………………………………………………………………………
10
5. Ice rink
5.1. General
information…………………………………………………………………………12
5.2. Indoor tracks – Outdoor
tracks………………………………………………………14
5.3. Utah Olympic Oval – The fastest ice on
Earth………………………………16
6. USA National records
6.1.
Seniors………………………………………………………………………………………
………18
6.2.
Juniors…………………………………………………………………………………………
……19
7. Important competitions in USA
7.1. World
Cups………………………………………………………………………………………20
7.2. Olympic Games 2002 – Salt Lake
City………………………………………..21
8. American Speed Skaters
Male

Female………………………………………………………………………………………
……………..23
9.
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………
…………………..24
10.
Bibliography………………………………………………………………………………
………………..25

INTRODUCTION

2
I have been practising long track speed skating for ten years, and I must say that by
now, it is practically my life. I got so used to training every day, that if I skip it, I
feel kind of lost. I do not know what I am going to do when I have to leave for
college, and I would not be able to train every time I want. But until then, I will
enjoy every second of what I have left from it.

This year I got the chance to train, compete and also live for a while in the United States
of America. It was an amazing experience: training on the fastest ice rink in the
world, side by side with the best speed skaters in the world. I felt so little among
them, that I started questioning myself “What am I doing here?”.

As far as I noticed, speed skating is not a common sport and a lot of people that I spoke
to did not have a clue about it. So here I am, trying to introduce you with the
concept of speed skating and also with some of the best speed skaters in the
world. Please enjoy!

THE HISTORY OF SPEED SKATING

The roots of speed skating date back over a millennium to Scandinavia, Northern Europe and the
Netherlands, where the natives added bones to
their shoes and used them to travel on frozen
rivers, canals and lakes. It was much later, in the
1500s, that people started seeing skating as fun
and perhaps even a sporting activity. Later, in
Norway, King Eystein Magnusson, later King
Eystein I of Norway, boasts of his skills racing on
ice legs.

3
However, skating and speed skating was not limited to the Netherlands and Scandinavia; in 1592, a
Scotsman designed a skate with a iron blade. It was iron-bladed skates that led to the spread of
skating and, in particular, speed skating. By 1642, the first official skating club, The Skating Club Of
Edinburgh, was born, and, in 1763, the world saw its first official speed skating race, on the Fens in
England organized by the National Ice Skating Association. While in the Netherlands, people began
touring the rivers connecting the 11 cities of Friesland, a challenge which eventually led to the
Elfstedentocht.

By 1850, North America had discovered a love of the sport, and, indeed, North America went on to
develop the all-steel blade, which was both lighter and sharper. The Netherlands came back to the
fore in 1889 and organized the very first world championships, and, subsequently, the
ISU(International Skating Union) was born in 1892. Subsequently, by the start of the 20th century,
skating and indeed speed skating had come into its own as a major popular sporting activity.

During the nineteenth century, ice skating on Chicago's ponds, rivers, lagoons, and manufactured
rinks was one of the city's most popular forms of winter recreation. Competitive speed skating
began to thrive in the 1890s, particularly among Norwegians in Humboldt Park, who formed the
Northwest Skating Club in 1890. The city pioneered women's competition in 1904 with a state meet
at Humboldt Park that attracted 50,000 spectators. Speed skating subsequently spread into grade
schools, and by the 1920s formal competition was conducted by
the high schools, the Catholic Youth Organization, and the
Chicago Park District. The city was also home to three major skate
manufacturers: F. W. Planert & Sons, Nestor Johnson Mfg. Co., and
Alfred Johnson Skate Company.

By 1923 metropolitan Chicago's winter landscape was dotted with

more than six hundred outdoor rinks (more than in any other city)
and was unrivaled in producing champion speed skaters, starting
with four-time national champion Bobby McLean (1911–1914).
Every Olympic Games from 1924 through 1998 had Chicagoans
competing, notably Diane Holum, Ann Henning, Leah Poulos, and
Andy Gabel. The Chicago Tribune Silver Skates competition from 1917 to 1974 was the preeminent
speed skating event in the United States, attracting up to 60,000 fans during its heyday in the
1920s and 1930s.

ISU development
Organized races on ice skates developed in the 19th century.
Norwegian clubs hosted competitions from 1863, with races in
Christiania (nowadays known as Oslo) drawing five-digit crowds. In
1884, the Norwegian Axel Paulsen was named Amateur Champion
Skater of the World after winning competitions in the United States.
Five years later, a sports club in Amsterdam held an ice-skating
event they called a world championship, with participants from
Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as the
host country. The Internationale Eislauf Vereinigung, now known as
the International Skating Union, was founded at a meeting of 15
national representatives in Scheveningen in 1892, the first
international winter sports federation.

The Nederlandse Schaatsrijderbond was founded in 1882 and

organized the world championships of 1890 and 1891. Competitions
were held around tracks of varying lengths—the 1885 match
between Axel Paulsen and Remke van der Zee was skated on a track
of 6/7 mile (1400 metres)—but the 400 metre track was
standardised by the ISU in 1892, along with the standard distances
for world championships, 500 m, 1500 m, 5000 m and 10,000 m. Skaters started in pairs, each to
their own lane, and changed lanes for every lap to ensure that each skater completed the same
distance. This is what is now known as long track speed skating. Competitions were exclusively for
amateur skaters, which was enforced. Peter Sinnerud was disqualified for professionalism in 1904
and lost his world title.

Long track world records were first registered in 1891 and improved rapidly, Jaap Eden lowering the
world 5000-metre record by half a minute during the Hamar European Championships in 1894. The
record stood for 17 years, and it took 50 years to lower it by further half a minute.

Speed skating at the Winter Olympics

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The governing body for speed skating International Skating Union (ISU), was included in the list of
recognized federations when the International Olympic Committee was founded, but was first
discussed seriously for the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. No speed skating events were
contested, although figure skating – also governed by the ISU – was on the programme. The
preliminary calendar for the 1916 Summer Olympics, to be held in Berlin, listed a 3-event allround
competition, but these Games were cancelled because of World War I.
The International Winter Sports Week in Chamonix, retro-actively dubbed the 1924 Winter
Olympics, contained five speed skating events.
Uncommon for the time, it not only included an
all-round competition, but also awarded
medals for the individual distances: 500 m,
1500 m, 5000 m and 10000 m. The all-round
event was dropped before the 1928 Games,
even though it remained the only World
Championship format in the sport until the
1970s; single distance World Championships
were not established until 1996.

The 1932 speed skating events were held

according to the rules of the American speed
skating federation, meaning the skaters
competed in small packs of skaters (similar to
short track speed skating), instead of the
common against-the-clock format. These Games in Lake Placid, New York also saw the first female
speed skaters at the Olympics, although their events were only demonstration events. Women's
events were also set to be held at the 1940 Winter Olympics, which were cancelled. After the war,
they were withdrawn again until 1960, when the women skated 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and 3000
m.

Following the introduction of World Sprint Championships in the early 1970s, the 1000 m for men
was added in Innsbruck 1976, while the women's 5000 m, reinstated by the ISU as an official
distance in 1981, made its Olympic debut in 1988. The latest addition to the Olympic speed skating
programme is the team pursuit, which was added for the 2006 Turin Games. Its inclusion was
remarkable as it had not yet been contested at a senior World Championship in the form skated at
the Olympics at the time of inclusion. It is not true that it had not yet been contested at a senior
World Championship, the Dutch team won the 2005 title in Inzell, but in that form they only had to
skate once and be the fastest, while the Olympic form required three starts.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Haralds Silovs (Latvia) became the first athlete in Olympic history to
participate in both short track (1500m) and long track (5000m) speed skating, and the first the first
to compete in two different disciplines on the same day.
Medal table for the Olympics
Ran
Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
k
1 United States (USA) 29 22 16 67
2 Netherlands (NED) 27 29 26 82
3 Norway (NOR) 25 28 27 80

3. THE EQUIPMENT
3.1. Skates

Ice skates are boots with blades attached to the

bottom, used to propel oneself across a sheet of ice.
They are worn as footwear in many sports, including
ice hockey, speed skating and figure skating. The first
ice skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or
deer, and were attached to feet with leather straps. A
pole with a sharp metal spike was used for pushing the
skater forward.

5
 According to a study done by Federico Formenti, University of
Oxford, and Alberto Minetti, University of Milan, Finns were the
first to develop ice skates some 5,000 years ago from animal
bones. This was important for the Finnish populations to save
energy in harsh winter conditions when hunting in Finnish
Lakeland. The first skate to use a metal blade was found in
Scandinavia and was dated to 200 and was fitted with a thin strip
of copper folded and attached to the underside of a leather shoe.

Racing skates, also known as speed

skates, have long blades and are used
for speed skating. A clap skate (or
clapper skate) is a type of skate where
the shoe is connected to the blade using a hinge. Short track racing
skates have a longer overall height to the blade to allow for deep edge
turns without the boot contacting the ice. For better turning ability,
racing skates may have a radius, from 8 metres for short track to 22
metres for long track.

The clap skate (also called clapskates, slap skates, slapskates, from
Dutch klapschaats) is a type of ice skate used in speed skating. Unlike in
traditional skates where the blade is rigidly fixed to the boot, clap skates
have the blade attached to the boot by a hinge at the front. This allows
the blade to remain in contact with the ice longer, as the ankle can now
be extended toward the end of the stroke, as well as for more natural
movement, thereby distributing the energy of the leg more effectively
and efficiently.

Clap skates were developed at the Faculty of Human Movement

Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam, led by Gerrit Jan
van Ingen Schenau, although the idea of a clap skate is much older;
designs dating from around 1900 are known.

The clap skate was used first in the 1984/1985

skating season. It was, however, not until the late
1990s that the idea was taken seriously. In the
1996/1997 season, the Dutch women's team
started using the skates with great success. The
rest of the skating world soon followed suit,
causing a torrent of world records to be broken in
the following seasons, including the 1998 Winter
Olympics in Nagano, Japan.

Find out how to make your own skates from bones

at:

http://www.valhs.org/history/articles/daily_living/text/ice_skates.htm

6
3.2. Skin suite

They are called skinsuits because because the best of them fit skin-tight. The term is usually used
to describe any one piece speed skating outfit (tights & jersey). The skin-tight fit helps the
speedskater skate their fastest because:

1: It is aerodynamic. This is most important for long track skaters because the resistance from air
flow over the skaters' body has a very large effect on the large 400 meter long track. This has
a great effect on the skaters' speed and finish time. The effect is less noticeable in the 111.12
meter short track, since it is in a relatively small hockey rink.

2: Freedom of movement. This allows the skater to use the arms and legs to their fullest, without
the energy consuming resistance that would come from regular clothes, say for instance, a pair
of Levis.

The skinsuits come in many colors and neat designs. They are made of a stretchable material,
usually spandex and/or lycra. It takes great skill to make them correctly, so that they will
stretch in all directions.

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 4. Competition format
All round

The oldest competition format still in place is the all

round event, standardized in 1892 (see History
above). Skaters skate four distances (for men:
500 m, 1500 m, 5000 m, and 10,000 m), and a
ranking is made up based on the times skated on all
of these distances. The method of scoring is the
same for all combinations. All times are calculated
back to 500 m times, so skating the 500 m in 40
seconds gives 40 points, while 1500 m (3×500 m)
in 2 minutes (120 seconds, equivalent to 3×40 s)
also gives 40 points. Points are calculated to three
decimal places, and truncation is applied; the
numbers are not rounded. The skater who has the
fewest points wins the competition. This system is
called samalog.

An all round champion may often not have won a single distance—such as Viktor Kosichkin in the
1962 World Championship—or he may win three distances but lose the overall title. Originally,
three distance victories won one the championship, but the rules were changed after Rolf Falk-
Larssen beat Tomas Gustafson at the 1983 World Championship despite having more points. The
ISU organizes an annual World All round Speed Skating Championships.

Sprint championships

8
The sprint championships are two-day events where skaters run the 500 m and 1000 m on both
days. The samalog system is again applied to crown the winner. To counter any systematic bias
regarding inner versus outer lanes, skaters change start lanes from the first day to the second.
Nations with active skaters arrange annual national sprint championships, and the ISU have been
arranging annual World Sprint Speed Skating Championships for men and for ladies since 1970.
While there are annual European (All round) Speed Skating Championships, no such championships
are arranged for the sprinters.

Single distances

A more basic form of speed skating consists of skating a single event.

This is the format used for the World Single Distance Championships,
which have been arranged since 1996, and the World Cup. The usual
distances are the 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m (ladies only),
5000 m and 10,000 m (men only), but some other distances are
sometimes skated as well, such as 100 m and 1 mile. Women
occasionally, but rarely, are given the opportunity to skate the
10,000 m, but outside the top-level championships.

The 500 m is usually skated with two runs, so that every skater has
one race starting in the outer lane and one in the inner. This practice
started with the first of the World Single Distance Championships in
1996, and with the 1998 Nagano Olympics; at all earlier Olympics, the
500 m was skated only once. The reason for skating this distance twice
is that there is a small but statistically significant average advantage of
starting in the inner lane; negotiating the last curve at high speed is
typically more difficult in the inner lane than in the outer lane.

In addition to international championships, the International Skating Union has organized the Speed
Skating World Cup since the 1985–1986 season. The World Cup works by ranking skaters by
cumulative score during the season, for each distance separately, at specially designated World
Cup meets. More specifically, there is for each season a World Cup competition for the 500 m,
1000 m, 1500 m, and combined 5,000 m and 10,000 m, for men; and for the 500 m, 1000 m,
1500 m, and combined 3,000 m and 5,000 m, for ladies. There have been suggestions of making a
grand total World Cup ranking by suitable aggregation of scores across distances, but such a
ranking system has not yet been organized. Speed skating is thus the only individual sport with a
season-long World Cup not to crown one World Cup winner at the end of each season

Team pursuit

The team pursuit is the only team event in top-level long

track speed skating and is skated by teams of three skaters.
Two teams race at a time, starting at a line in the middle of
the straightaway. One team starts on each side of the track.
Only the inner lane is used, and the distance is eight laps for
men and six for women.

There are several formats for the team pursuit. The Olympic
format is unusual in that it is a cup format, with several
rounds of exclusion between two teams. In the World Cup
and World Championships, one race is skated and the teams
are ranked by their finishing time. In the Olympic format, a team that overtakes the other has
automatically won the race and the remaining distance is not skated. In practice, the distance is so
short that this rarely happens unless one team has a fall.

The team pursuit is a new event in major international

competitions. Similar events have been held for years on a
smaller scale but was not considered an official ISU event until
around 2004. It was introduced at the Olympics in 2006.

9
 5. ICE RINK
5.1. General information
An ice rink is a frozen body of water where people can skate or play winter sports. Some of its uses
include playing ice hockey, figure skating exhibitions and contests, and ice shows.

Rink, a Scottish word meaning 'course', was used as the name of a place where another game,
curling, was played. The name has been retained for the construction of ice areas for other sports
and uses.

Many ice rinks consist of, or are found on, open bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, canals, and
sometimes rivers; these can only be used in the winter in climates where the surface would freeze
thickly enough to support human weight. Rinks can also be made in cold climates by enclosing a
level area of ground, filling it with water, and letting it freeze. Snow may even be packed to use as
a containment material.

Construction

Modern rinks have a specific procedure for preparing the surface:

• With the pipes cold, a thin layer of water is sprayed on the sand or concrete to seal and
level it (or in the case of concrete, to keep it from being marked).
• This thin layer is painted white or pale blue, for better contrast; markings necessary for
hockey or curling are also placed, along with logos or other decorations.
• Another thin layer of water is sprayed on top of this.
• The ice is built up to a thickness of 2–3 centimeters (around one inch) by repeated flows of
water onto the surface

Periodically after the ice has been used, it is

resurfaced using a machine called an ice
resurfacer (typically manufactured by either the
Zamboni corporation of southern California or the
Resurface Corporation of Ontario, Canada).
Between events, especially if the arena is being
used without need for the ice surface, it is either
covered with a heavily insulated floor, or melted
by heating the fluid in the pipes.

In speed skating, the official Olympic rink size is

30 x 60 meters for short track, and 400 meters
for long track. A standard speed skating track is,
according to the regulations of the International
Skating Union (ISU), a double-laned track with
two curved ends each of 180°, in which the radius of the inner curve is not less than 25 meters and
not more than 26 meters. The width of the competition lanes are 4 meters. At the opposite straight
of the finishing line, there is a crossing area, where the skaters must change lane.

At international competitions, the track must be 400 meters long, with a warm-up lane at least 4
meters wide inside the competition lanes. For olympic competitions, the track must also be
enclosed within a building.

The design and dimensions of a speed skating track has remained more or less unchanged since
the foundation of ISU in 1892.

Measurement and demarcation

The measurement of the track is made half a meter into the lane. The total length of the track is
the distance a competitor skates each lap, i.e. the length of two straights, one inner curve and one
outer curve, in addition to the extra distance skated when changing lanes in the cross-over area,
which on a standard track equals 7 centimeters.

10
 • A 400 m track with inner radius 25.0 m has 113.57 m long straights
• A 400 m track with inner radius 25.5 m has 112.00 m long straights
• A 400 m track with inner radius 26.0 m has 110.43 m long straights

The demarcation of the competition lanes are made by painted lines in the ice (a set of painted
marks) and movable blocks of rubber. On outdoor tracks, snow may also be used for demarcation of
the competition lanes.

Alternative speed skating tracks

Although ISU regulations state that minimum measures for a standard speed skating track,
alternative track lengths may be used for competition. The minimum requirements are track length
on 200 meters, radius of inner curve of 15 meters and width of the competition lanes 2 meters.

5.2. Indoor tracks – Outdoor tracks

Indoor speed skating tracks

Below is a complete list of the indoor 400 m speed skating tracks around the world. The data
presented are retrieved from the online database Speed Skating News.
Altitud Finishe
Country City Track name
e d
Belarus Minsk Minsk Arena 209 2010
Canada Calgary Olympic Oval 1105 1987
Canada Fort St. John Enerplex Arena 671 2009
Canada Richmond Richmond Olympic Oval 4 2008
China Changchun Jilin Provincial Speed Skating Rink 210 2005
China Harbin Heilongjiang Indoor Rink 141 1995
China Qiqihar Indoor Iceink 146 2007
China Shenyang Bayi Speed Skating Oval 48 1999
Germany Berlin Sportforum Hohenschönhausen 34 1985
Germany Erfurt Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Halle 214 2001
Italy Torino Oval Lingotto 233 2005
Japan Nagano M-Wave 346 1996
Japan Obihiro Meiji Hokkaido-Tokachi Oval 79 2009
Netherlands Breda SpaarSelect Kunstijsbaan 5 2001
Netherlands Enschede IJsbaan Twente 27 2008
Netherlands Groningen Kardinge 0 1993
Netherlands Heerenveen Thialf 0 1986
Netherlands Tilburg Ireen Wüst IJsbaan 13 2009
Norway Bjugn Fosenhallen 8 2007
Norway Hamar Vikingskipet 125 1992
Norway Stavanger Sørmarka arena 48 2010
Russia Chelyabinsk Uralskaja Molnija 222 2005
Russia Kolomna Speed Skating Centre 120 2006
Russia Moscow Krylatskoye Skating Hall 127 2004
South Korea Seoul Taereung Indoor Ice Rink 63 2000
USA Milwaukee Pettit National Ice Center 216 1993

11
 USA Salt Lake City Utah Olympic Oval 1423 2000

Other major speed skating tracks

In the table below, some of the world's major outdoor speed skating tracks still in use are listed.
This is not a complete list of speed skating venues, but lists most of the outdoor tracks used for
world cup competitions and championships the past years. The data in the table are retrieved from
the Speed Skating News database.

Altitud
Country City Track name Finished Other
e
Austria Innsbruck Olympia Eisstadion 586 1963
Oulunkylän
Finland Helsingfors 39 1977
Liikuntapuisto
Finland Seinäjoki Jääurheilukeskus 44 1952
Ludwig-Schwabl- Reopens as an indoor arena
Germany Inzell 691 1965
Stadion in 2011
Hungary Budapest Városligeti Müjégpálya 115 1968
Baselga di
Italy Ice Rink Pinè 998 1985
Pinè
Italy Collalbo Arena Ritten 1173 1989
Kazakhsta
Almaty Medeo 1691 1972 Under re-development
n
Netherland The Hague De Uithof 0 1989 Semi-covered
s
Reopens with artificial ice in
Norway Oslo Frogner stadion 42 1914
2010
Norway Oslo Valle-Hovin 92 1966
Poland Warsaw Tor Stegny 82 1979
Poland Zakopane Tor Cos 932 1956
Gothenbur Gothenburg Ruddalens skrinnarhall 40 2002 Semi-covered
g

Switzerlan Davos Eisstadion Davos 1560 1894 Natural ice

d
John Rose Minnesota
USA Roseville 276 1993
Oval

5.3. Utah Olympic Oval – The fastest ice on Earth

The Utah Olympic Oval was built with the purpose of hosting speed
skating competitions during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games,
but serves as a legacy to the State of Utah for all members of the
community to enjoy. The Oval, as well as the Utah Olympic Park in Park
City, is operated by the Utah Athletic Foundation. The Oval is part of a

12
multi-purpose recreation complex that includes recreational gyms, weight facilities and swimming
pools.

With an incredible 10 Olympic records and eight world

records, the Utah Olympic Oval stands uncontested as
the "Fastest Ice on Earth" following the 2002 Olympic
Winter Games. As impressive as the record breaking
performances were, it was the performance of the U.S.
Olympic Speedskating Team during the Games that has
generated a worldwide "buzz" surrounding the Utah
Olympic Oval. The team relocated to Salt Lake City in
January of 2001 to begin training in the Olympic venue
12 months before the rest of the world was expected to
arrive. At the end of the 2002 Games, the U.S.
Speedskating team had garnished an astonishing eight
Olympic medals won by six individual team members.
The depth and success of the U.S. team caused the rest
of the world to take notice and attention quickly turned to the concept of home field advantage.
The athletes were generous with their praise, identifying the training environment at the Utah
Olympic Oval as a huge factor in helping them realize their full potential as Olympic athletes. The
U.S. Speedskating team continues to use the Utah Olympic Oval as its home training base for the
men's and ladies' long track team because of the services the Oval provides and the friendly,
experienced staff who works there.

The Utah Olympic Oval successfully

hosted its first major international speed
skating competition three weeks after
the completion of the oval construction in
February 2001. The success of the 2001
World Championships Speed Skating
Single Distances event was
overwhelming, bringing more than130
athletes from 20 countries to Salt Lake
City for this prestigious competition. As a
preview to the Olympics in 2002, an
incredible five world records were broken
in the Utah Olympic Oval's debut
competition. The format of the Single
Distances Championships is very
similar to that of the Olympic
Games making this event a great
test and learning tool for the
staff, volunteers and facility.

Track records
Men

Distance Record Name Date

100 meter 09,40 Yuya Oikawa (JPN) 07.03.2009
500 meter 34,03 Jeremy Wotherspoon (CAN) 09.11.2007
1000 meter 1.06,42 Shani Davis (USA) 07.03.2009
1500 meter 1.41,04 Shani Davis (USA) 11.12.2009
3000 meter 3.39,29 Håvard Bøkko (NOR) 28.02.2009
3200 meter 3.39,55 Håvard Bøkko (NOR) 13.12.2009

13
 5000 meter 6.06,06 Enrico Fabris (ITA) 12.12.2009
10000 meter 12.41,69 Sven Kramer (NED) 08.03.2007

Ladies

Distance Record Name Date

100 meter 10,21 Jenny Wolf 07.03.2009
500 meter 37,00 Jenny Wolf 11.12.2009
1000 meter 1.13,36 Christine Nesbitt (CAN) 13.12.2009
1500 meter 1.51,79 Cindy Klassen (CAN) 18.11.2005
2400 meter 2.57,18 Jekaterina Abramova (RUS) 13.12.2009
3000 meter 3.56,30 Martina Sáblíková (CZE) 11.12.2009
5000 meter 6.45,61 Martina Sáblíková (CZE) 08.03.2007
10000 meter 15.45,88 Eva Rodansky (USA) 05.03.2005

6. USA NATIONAL RECORDS

6.1. Seniors

Ladies
11 December 2009
500m 37,74 Elli Ochowicz
Salt Lake City (USA)
17 February 2002
1000m 1.13,83 Chris Witty
Salt Lake City (USA)
12 December 2009
1500m 1.54,19 Jennifer Rodriguez
Salt Lake City (USA)
27 December 2005
3000m 4.01,98 Catherine Raney Norman
Salt Lake City (USA)
31 December 2005
5000m 6.56,92 Catherine Raney Norman
Salt Lake City (USA)
11 March 2005
10000m 14.56,12 Catherine Raney Norman
Calgary (CAN)

Men
17 November 2007
500m 34,31 Tucker Fredricks
Calgary (CAN)
7 March 2009
1000m 1.06,42 Shani Davis
Salt Lake City (USA)
11 December 2009
1500m 1.41,04 Shani Davis
Salt Lake City (USA)
10 March 2005
3000m 3.39,02 Chad Hedrick
Calgary (CAN)
13 November 2005
5000m 6.09,68 Chad Hedrick
Calgary (CAN)
31 December 2005
10000m 12.55,11 Chad Hedrick
Salt Lake City (USA)

6.2. Juniors

Ladies
500m 38,78 Elli Ochowicz 1 December 2001

14
 Salt Lake City (USA)
12 January 2003
1000m 1.16,41 Elli Ochowicz
Salt Lake City (USA)
9 January 2005
1500m 1.58,88 Maria Lamb
Salt Lake City (USA)
8 January 2005
3000m 4.10,50 Maria Lamb
Salt Lake City (USA)
20 February 1998
5000m 7.14,20 Kirstin Holum
Nagano (JPN)

Men
6 February 2009
500m 35,50 Mitchell Whitmore
Calgary (CAN)
30 December 2009
1000m 1.09,38 Brian Hansen
Salt Lake City (USA)
11 December 2009
1500m 1.44,45 Brian Hansen
Salt Lake City (USA)
12 March 2010
3000m 3.47,60 Brian Hansen
Moscow (RUS)
5 December 2009
5000m 6.23,44 Brian Hansen
Calgary (CAN)
30 December 2009
10000m 13.36,28 Brian Hansen
Salt Lake City (USA)

7. Important competitions in USA

7.1. World Cups

6 - 7 Mar Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final Salt Lake City, USA
2009

20 - 22 Mar American Cup Final & Champions Challenge Salt Lake City, USA
2009 Ladies & Men

21 - 25 Oct American Cup #1 Milwaukee, USA

2009 Ladies & Men

11 - 13 Dec Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating Salt Lake City, USA
2009

12 - 14 Feb American Cup #3 & North Americans Salt Lake City, USA
2010 Ladies & Men

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12 - 14 Mar American Cup Final & Champions Challenge Salt Lake City, USA
2010 Ladies & Men

7.2. Olympic Games 2002 – Salt

Lake City

Speed skating at the 2002 Winter Olympics, was held over fourteen days, from 9 February to 23
February. Ten events were contested at the Utah Olympic Oval.

Medal summary
Medal table
Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Netherlands (NED) 3 5 0 8
2 Germany (GER) 3 3 2 8
3 United States (USA) 3 1 4 8
4 Canada (CAN) 1 0 2 3
5 Japan (JPN) 0 1 0 1
6 Norway (NOR) 0 0 2 2

Men's events
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Casey Kip
500 metres Fitzrandolph Hiroyasu Carpenter
69.23 Shimizu 69.26 69.47
United United
States (USA) Japan (JPN) States (USA)
1000 Gerard van Joey Cheek
1:07.18 Jan Bos
metres Velde 1:07.53 United 1:07.61
WR Netherlands (NED)
Netherlands (NED) States (USA)
1500 Derek Parra Jochem Ådne
metres United 1:43.95 Uytdehaage 1:44.57 Søndrål 1:45.26
States (USA) Netherlands (NED) Norway (NOR)
5000 Jochem Derek Parra
6:14.66 Jens Boden
metres Uytdehaage United 6:17.98 6:21.73
WR Germany (GER)
Netherlands (NED) States (USA)
10000 Jochem 12:58.92 Gianni Romme 13:10.03 Lasse Sætre 13:16.92
metres Uytdehaage WR Netherlands (NED) Norway (NOR)
Netherlands (NED)

Women's events
Event Gold Silver Bronze
Catriona Monique Sabine
500 metres
Lemay Doan 74.75 Garbrecht-Enfeldt 74.94 Völker 75.19
details
Canada (CAN) Germany (GER) Germany (GER)

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 Jennifer
Chris Witty
1000 metres 1:13.83 Sabine Völker Rodriguez
United 1:13.96 1:14.24
details WR Germany (GER) United
States (USA)
States (USA)
Jennifer
Anni
1500 metres 1:54.02 Sabine Völker Rodriguez
Friesinger 1:54.97 1:55.32
details WR Germany (GER) United
Germany (GER)
States (USA)
Claudia Renate Cindy
3000 metres 3:57.70
Pechstein Groenewold 3:58.94 Klassen 3:58.97
details WR
Germany (GER) Netherlands (NED) Canada (CAN)
Claudia Clara
5000 metres 6:46.91 Gretha Smit
Pechstein 6:49.22 Hughes 6:53.53
details WR Netherlands (NED)
Germany (GER) Canada (CAN)

Records

Salt Lake City's high altitude was a major contributing factor to the speed of the Utah Olympic
Oval's ice, as new Olympic records were set in all ten events, and new World records in eight.
Event Date Round Athlete Country Time OR WR
Men's 500 metres 11 February Heat 1 Casey Fitzrandolph United States 34.42 OR
Men's 1000 metres 16 February Gerard van Velde Netherlands 1:07.18 OR WR
Men's 1500 metres 19 February Derek Parra United States 1:43.95 OR WR
Men's 5000 metres 9 February Jochem Uytdehaage Netherlands 6:14.66 OR WR
Men's 10000 metres 22 February Jochem Uytdehaage Netherlands 12:58.92 OR WR
Catriona Lemay
Women's 500 metres 13 February Heat 1 Canada 37.30 OR
Doan
Women's 1000
16 February Chris Witty United States 1:13.83 OR WR
metres
Women's 1500
16 February Anni Friesinger Germany 1:54.02 OR WR
metres
Women's 3000
16 February Claudia Pechstein Germany 3:57.70 OR WR
metres
Women's 5000
16 February Claudia Pechstein Germany 6:46.91 OR WR
metres

8. AMERICAN SPEED SKATERS

Male Female

Andrew Astalos Chantal Bailey

KC Boutiette Bonnie Blair
Kip Carpenter Rebekah Bradford
Joey Cheek Anne Bruckner
Shani Davis Beth Heiden
John Farrell Dianne Holum
Casey FitzRandolph Anne Henning
Eric Flaim Kit Klein
Tucker Fredricks Maria Lamb
David Cruikshank Leah Poulos
Chad Hedrick Jennifer Rodriguez
Eric Heiden Chris Witty
Ken Henry Sheila Young
Irving Jaffee Ellie Ochowicz

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 Dan Jansen Mia Manganello
Charles Jewtraw Ericka Hawke
Terry McDermott Catherine Raney
Peter Mueller Heather Richardson
Derek Parra Anna Ringsgred
Tom Plant Jessica Smith
Jack Shea Nancy Swider
Nick Thometz Christine Witty
Keith Bryant
Patrick Meek
Trevor Marsicano
Mike Blumel
John Loquai
Robert Lawrence
Charles Ryan Leveille
Jonathan Kuck

9. CONCLUSION
In the end, I do not know if I had awakened your interest for this sport (I sure hope I did), but I am
very happy that I was the one to reveal the beauty of long track speed skating.

I had to cut back a lot of photos and materials: every picture has its own story behind it, and there
were so many stories to tell, that I had to limit my saying. I also did not write about short track,
which is the other type of speed skating. Usually, if people did not hear about long track, they
surely did not know anything about short track, although there are some exceptions.

All in all, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!

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 10. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Holum, Dianne, “The Complete Handbook of Speed Skating”, Association of American

University Presses Inc., California (1984)
2. Riess, Steven A. City Games „The Evolution of American Urban Society and the Rise of
Sports”, Association of American University Presses Inc., Chicago (1989)
3. Ingen Schenau, G.J. Van, De Groot, G., Scheurs, A. W., & De Koning, J .J. „Medicine and
Science in Sports and Exercise”, (A new skate allowing powerful plantar flexions improves
performance), Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign (1996)
4. Lindberg, Richard C., and Biart Williams „The Armchair Companion to Chicago Sports”,
Association of American University Presses Inc., Chicago (1997)
5. Houghton, Bill, „Speed Skating Handbook” Association of American University Presses Inc.,
Chicago, (1998–1999)
6. Publow, Barry,”Speed on Skates”, Human Kinetics Publishers, Champaign (1999)
7. USOC: “A Basic Guide to Speed Skating”, Griffin Publishers, Torrance (2002)

Internet sources

http://www.skateresults.com/world_records

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http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/2002/SLC2002Results3.pdf
http://www.olyparks.com/uoo/index.asp
http://www.speedskatingnews.info/?page_id=826&bahn=USSL
http://www.speedskatingresults.com/index.php?p=11
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080104-first-skates.html
http://www.sportsci.org/news/news9703/slapskat.htm
www.wikipedia.org
www.google.ro
www.isu.org

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