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 clap skate 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.
The Dutch Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year are chosen annually by Dutch athletes from a shortlist compiled by sports journalists. The elections are organized by the Dutch Olympic Committee.
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.
Jacobus Johannes "Jaap" Eden was a Dutch athlete. He is the only male athlete to win world championships in both speed skating and bicycle racing.
Adrianus "Ard" Schenk is a former speed skater from the Netherlands, who is considered to be one of the best in history. His first Olympic success came in 1968, when he won a silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Between 1970 and 1972 Winter Olympics, Schenk won three consecutive World Allround Speed Skating Championships. He won three gold medals at the 1972 Winter Olympics, becoming, along with Galina Kulakova of Soviet Union, the most successful athlete there.
Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Thialf consists of the Thialf-hal and the Elfstedenhal. Thialf is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, ice speedway, and non-sporting events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records have been set in the indoor stadium.
The Pettit National Ice Center is an indoor ice skating facility in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring two international-size ice rinks and a 400-meter speed skating oval. Located adjacent to Wisconsin State Fair Park, the center opened on January 1, 1993, and was named for Milwaukee philanthropists Jane and Lloyd Pettit. Pettit National Ice Center Inc., a non-profit organization, has operated the site since the facility opened.
Jacob "Jaap" Meijer was a track cyclist from the Netherlands, who represented his native country at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. There he won the silver medal in the Men's 1.000m Sprint (Scratch).
Amsterdam Island is a small island off the northwest coast of West-Spitsbergen. It is separated from Danes Island by the strait Danskegattet. Its total area is 16.8 km2. Its highest point is Hiertabreen, at 472 meters above sea level. The percentage of the island covered in ice is 11.5%.
Jan de Jong was the ice master of the Thialf skating stadium in Heerenveen, Netherlands. De Jong was responsible for the ice in the pre-eminent Dutch skating rink from 1967 when it opened as an outdoor 400-metre oval, and then from 1986 on, when Thialf became the first indoor ice stadium in the world, until his retirement in 2000, when he was succeeded by Beert Boomsma.
The Icehouse is an Australian ice sports and entertainment centre, located in the Docklands precinct of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. It is open to the public 7 days a week and offers an extensive range of educational ice-skating classes for customers, as well as pathways to ice sports.
A speed skating rink is an ice rink in which a speed skating competition is held.
Sørmarka Arena is an indoor multi-purpose ice rink located in Stavanger, Norway. It consists of a 400-meter speed skating rink, an ice hockey rink, six curling rinks, and a "penguin rink" for newbeginners. There is also a 17-meter (56 ft) tall climbing wall. It can seat 4,000 spectators.
The 1893 World Allround Speed Skating Championships took place at 13 and 14 January at the ice rink Museumplein in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is the fourth World Allround Speed Skating Championships organised at the Museumplein in Amsterdam.. It was the first official World Allround Speed Skating Championship after the foundation of the International Skating Union (ISU) in 1892. The Dutch skater Jaap Eden became the first official ISU-World allround by winning the 1500, 5000 en 500 meter. He did not need to finish the 10000m according to the rules. Oskar Fredriksen from Norway skated the championship the first World record at the 10000 meter.
The 1894 World Allround Speed Skating Championships took place at 10 and 11 February 1894 at the ice rink Saltsjöbanen in Stockholm, Sweden. 19 skaters from six countries participated. It is the first World Allround Speed Skating Championships skated outside off Amsterdam. The Dutch skater Jaap Eden was the defending champion. No new champion was declared because none of the skaters won three distances.
The 1895 World Allround Speed Skating Championships took place at 23 and 24 February 1895 at the ice rink Mjøsen in Hamar, Norway. There was no defending champion. In 1894 no champion was declared because none of the skaters won three distances. Jaap Eden became the first skater to win two world titles.
The 1897 World Allround Speed Skating Championships took place on 5, 6 and 9 February 1897 at the ice rink Crystal Stadium in Montréal, Canada. It was the first World championship outside of Europe. Canada had the honour of organizing this World championship because it was the first non-European member of the International Skating Union.
Jaap Edenhal is a 4,500-capacity indoor ice rink located adjacent to Jaap Eden baan in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is named after Dutch speed skater Jaap Eden. The Amsterdam Tigers are its primary tenant. The facility opened in 1973 and has also been used as a concert venue.
The Alau Ice Palace is an 8,000-seat speed skating oval in Astana, Kazakhstan. As well as speed skating it is also used for other sports. It was opened in 2011. The center hosted the speed skating events at the 2011 Asian Winter Games. In 2015, it hosted the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships. It was ranked first among the world’s speed skating stadiums according to the Dutch AD Sportwereld publication’s ranking.
