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".
Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a length of 111.111 metres (364.54 ft). The rink itself is 60 metres (196.85 ft) long by 30 metres (98.43 ft) wide, which is the same size as an Olympic-sized figure skating rink and an international-sized ice hockey rink. Related sports include long-track speed skating and inline speed skating.
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.
Olivier Jean is a three time Olympian who represented Canada in both short and long track speed skating. Olivier Jean is a gold medalist from the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games in the men's 5000m relay. He is a Canadian short track speed skater, racing internationally from 2002 to 2015 and switched to long track speed skating, competing internationally from 2015 to 2018. Olivier competed at his second Olympic Games in Sochi 2014 in short track speed skating, and for his third game appearance, switched to long track speed skating, competing in the mass start at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games. His appearance is well known for his dreadlocks and for listening to reggae, which he says makes him skate faster.
Bart Swings is a Belgian long track speed skater and inline speed skater. He is the 2022 Olympic champion on the speed skating mass start. Swings won Belgium's first gold medal in 74 years and is the first Belgian athlete ever to have won two medals in the Winter Olympics. In 2023 he won the Belgian National Sports Merit Award, the highest trophy for a sportsperson or team in Belgium.
The ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating is a series of international long track speed skating matches, organised yearly by the International Skating Union. It is the second most important competition for juniors, behind the World Junior Speed Skating Championships. The format is comparable to the ISU Speed Skating World Cup, but only junior skaters are allowed to enter. Starting in the 2016–17 season, a competition for "neo-seniors" was added.
Ivanie Blondin is a Canadian speed skater. She primarily skates in the long distances of 3000 m and 5000 m and the mass start event. Blondin won a silver medal in the mass start event at the 2015 World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships and a gold medal in the same event at the 2020 World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships. She also won the silver medal at the 2020 World Allround Speed Skating Championships. She won a gold medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Women's team pursuit.
Irene Schouten is a Dutch speed skater who competes in allround marathon and inline-skating events. She is a five-time Olympic medalist and a triple Olympic Champion, having won the 3,000m, 5,000m, and mass start events at the 2022 Beijing Games. As of 12 February 2022, she holds the Olympic record in both distances. Her coach is Jillert Anema.
The women's mass start race of the 2014–15 ISU Speed Skating World Cup 1, arranged in the Meiji Hokkaido-Tokachi Oval in Obihiro, Japan, was held on 16 November 2014.
The women's mass start race of the 2015–16 ISU Speed Skating World Cup 1, arranged in the Olympic Oval, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was held on 15 November 2015.
The women's mass start race of the 2015–16 ISU Speed Skating World Cup 2, arranged in the Utah Olympic Oval, in Salt Lake City, United States, was held on November 22, 2015.
Sanneke de Neeling is a Dutch speed skater who is specialized in the sprint and middle distances.
Patrick Roest is a Dutch professional long track speed skater who has won the World Allround Speed Skating Championships three times. He leads the adelskalender, an all-time ranking of skaters' personal bests. He is a member of the commercial team of Team Reggeborgh.
Esmee Michelle Visser is a Dutch speed skater and Olympic Champion, who specialises in long distances.
Danila Mikhailovich Semerikov is a Russian speed skater who specializes in the medium and long distances.
Marijke Groenewoud is a Dutch long-distance long-track speed skater and inline speed skater. She was part of Team FrySk and of marathon team Royal A-ware. As of 2020 she is part of Team Zaanlander, trained by Jillert Anema.
Elisa Dul is a Dutch long track speed skater. Dul is a member of Team Zaanlander,, trained by Jillert Anema.
The women's mass start competition in speed skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics was held on 19 February, at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing. Irene Schouten of the Netherlands won the event, her third gold and fourth overall medal at these Olympics. Ivanie Blondin of Canada won her first individual Olympic medal, the silver. Francesca Lollobrigida of Italy won the bronze medal.
Isabel Grevelt is a Dutch allround speed skater.
Netherlands 