Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track". The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of competitive ice sports, refers to long track as "speed skating" and short track as "short track skating".
The Elfstedentocht is a long-distance tour skating event on natural ice, almost 200 kilometres (120 mi) long, which is held both as a speed skating competition and a leisure tour. The Elfstedentocht is the biggest ice-skating tour in the world.
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports. Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ice skating during the 1800s marked a rise in the deliberate construction of ice rinks in numerous areas of the world.
Long-track speed skating, usually simply referred to as speed skating, is the Olympic discipline of speed skating where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as ice skating marathon, short-track speedskating, inline speedskating, and quad speed skating are also called speed skating.
Bart Veldkamp is a retired speed skater, who represented the Netherlands and later Belgium in international competitions, including the Winter Olympics. He currently is the national speed skating coach of Belgium.
Gianni Petrus Cornelis Romme is a Dutch marathoner and a former long track speed skater. He won two gold medals at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano and was the World all-round champion in 2000 and 2003. Romme has been a coach since the 2006–07 speed skating season.
Pieter "Piet" Kleine is a former speed skater from the Netherlands who specialized in the longer distances.
Atje Keulen-Deelstra was a Dutch speed skater, who was a four-time World Allround Champion between the age of 32 and 36.
Henk Angenent is a retired Dutch speed skater, specialising in marathon skating and the longer distances. Angenent won the Elfstedentocht on 4 January 1997, outsprinting favourite Erik Hulzebosch at the finish.
Jan Maarten Heideman is a Dutch speed skater who specialises in marathon speed skating.
Daniëlle Bekkering is a Dutch marathon speed skater, short track speed skater, and cyclist who currently lives in Den Ham (Groningen). Bekkering has several nicknames like Beeks, Daantje and Dikkie Dik. Her sister Eyelien is also a cyclist.
Moniek Kleinsman is a Dutch speed skater who was born in Bentelo, Overijssel, and currently resides in Wolvega. She competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Elma de Vries is a Dutch marathon speed skater and inline speed skater. She is the older sister of marathon speed skater Bob de Vries.
Erik Hulzebosch is a Dutch marathon speed skater, inline speed skater and part-time singer and blogger at his own website.
Carien Kleibeuker is a Dutch former speed skater who is specialised in the long distances, 3000 and mainly 5000 metres. She is the current holder of the Dutch record on the 10,000 metres distances, as well as the current holder of the unofficial world one-hour record, with 40,569.56 metres skated.
The Women's 5000 m speed skating competition for the 2002 Winter Olympics was held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.
Jacob Jorrit Bergsma is a Dutch speed skater and marathon skater. At the 2014 Winter Olympics, he won the gold medal in the 10,000 m. His coach is Jillert Anema.
Evert van Benthem is a Dutch former speed skater who won the rarely raced Elfstedentocht twice in a row, in 1985 and 1986.
Dirkina Wilhelmina "Ingrid" Paul is a retired speed skater and speed skating coach from the Netherlands. She competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in the 3000 m and 5000 m and finished in 14th place in the latter event.
Ice skating marathons are long distance speed skating races which may be held on natural ice on canals, and bodies of water such as lakes and rivers. Marathon is a discipline of speed skating, which is founded in The Netherlands. The races concern speed skating by at least five skaters who start all together on an ice rink with a minimum length of 333.33 meters or on a track:
