Speed skating rink

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A speed skating rink (or speed skating oval) is an ice rink in which a speed skating competition is held.

Contents

The rink

A standard long track 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 metres and not more than 26 metres. The width of the competition lanes is 4 metres. At the opposite straight of the finishing line, there is a crossing area, where the skaters must change lane. [1]

At international competitions, the track must be 400 metres long, with a warm-up lane at least 4 metres wide inside the competition lanes. [2] For Olympic competitions, the track must also be enclosed within a building. [3]

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

The speed skating track is also used for the sports of Icetrack cycling and Ice speedway

Measurement and demarcation

The dimensions of a standard speed skating rink Speedskating rink 400 meters with dimensions.svg
The dimensions of a standard speed skating rink

The measurement of the track is made half a meter into the lane. [4] 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.

The demarcation of the competition lanes are made by painted lines in the ice (or a set of painted marks) and movable blocks of rubber. On outdoor tracks, snow may also be used for demarcation of the competition lanes. [5]

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. [6]

Short track speed skating tracks have a length of 111.111 metres (364.54 ft). The rink is 60 metres (200 ft) long by 30 metres (98 ft) wide, which is the same size as an international-sized ice hockey rink.

Combination with other sports

Medeu is also suitable for bandy Bandy in Medeu Kazakhstan.JPG
Medeu is also suitable for bandy

Many speed skating venues have ice hockey rinks or no ice area at all inside the oval. A few are suitable also for bandy, like Hamar Olympic Hall, [7] Ice Palace Krylatskoye, [8] and Medeu. [9] The Beijing National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, China, which was built for the 2022 Winter Olympics, is also designed appropriately for that sport. [10] [11] There is a growing cooperation between International Skating Union and Federation of International Bandy, since both have an interest in more indoor venues with large ice surfaces being built. [12] In Norway there is an agreement in place, stating that an indoor arena intended primarily for either bandy or long track speed skating, shall have ice surface for the other sport as well.

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. [13]

CountryCityTrack nameElevation (m)Finished
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus Minsk Minsk Arena 2092010
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Calgary Olympic Oval 11051987
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Fort St. John Pomeroy Sport Centre 6712009
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Richmond Richmond Olympic Oval 42008*
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Changchun Jilin Provincial Speed Skating Rink2102005
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Daqing Daqing Stadium1492005
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Harbin Heilongjiang Indoor Rink 1411995
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Qiqihar Indoor Icerink1462007
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Shenyang Bayi Speed Skating Oval481999
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Ürümqi Xinjiang Ice Sport Centre17102015
Flag of Germany.svg Germany Berlin Sportforum Hohenschönhausen 341985
Flag of Germany.svg Germany Erfurt Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Halle2142001
Flag of Germany.svg Germany Inzell Max Aicher Arena 6902011
Flag of Italy.svg Italy Torino Oval Lingotto 2332005
Flag of Japan.svg Japan Nagano M-Wave 3461996
Flag of Japan.svg Japan Obihiro Meiji Hokkaido-Tokachi Oval792009
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan Astana Alau Ice Palace 3482011
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Rotterdam Schaatsbaan Rotterdam-22013
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Dronten Leisure World Ice Center-31998
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Enschede IJsbaan Twente272008
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Groningen Kardinge01993
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Heerenveen Thialf 01986
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Hoorn De Westfries02006
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Tilburg Ireen Wüst IJsbaan132009
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Leeuwarden Elfstedenhal02015
Flag of Norway.svg Norway Botngård, Bjugn Municipality Fosenhallen 82007
Flag of Norway.svg Norway Hamar Vikingskipet 1251992
Flag of Norway.svg Norway Stavanger Sørmarka Arena 482010
Flag of Poland.svg Poland Tomaszów Mazowiecki Ice Arena Tomaszów Mazowiecki 1532017
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Chelyabinsk Uralskaya Molniya2222005
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Kolomna Speed Skating Centre1202006
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Moscow Ice Palace Krylatskoye 1272004
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Sochi Adler Arena Skating Center 52012
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Irkutsk Ice Palace Baikal 4202020
Flag of Russia.svg Russia Kemerovo Ice Palace Kuzbass 2021
Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea Gangneung Gangneung Oval 262015
Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea Seoul Taereung Indoor Ice Rink632000
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden Gothenburg Rudhallen402002
Flag of the United States.svg USA West Allis, Milwaukee Pettit National Ice Center 2161993
Flag of the United States.svg USA Kearns, Salt Lake City Utah Olympic Oval 14232000

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. [13]

CountryCityTrack nameAltitude (meters)FinishedOther
Flag of Austria.svg Austria Innsbruck Olympia Eisstadion5861963Winter Olympics 1964 and 1976
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Halifax Emera Oval 302011
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Québec City Anneau Gaétan-Boucher1031972Artificial ice in 1985, now closed, converted to an indoor oval. The building complex is now as know the « Centre de Glaces » for autumn 2021. This oval is now covered and should be on the indoor list as of Fall(?) 2022. The name of the 400 m ice track hasn't changed.
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Saskatoon Clarence Downey Oval4851947Natural ice
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada Winnipeg Susan Auch Oval2341979Natural ice
Flag of Finland.svg Finland Helsinki Oulunkylän Liikuntapuisto391977
Flag of Finland.svg Finland Seinäjoki Jääurheilukeskus441952
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary Budapest Városligeti Műjégpálya1151968
Flag of Italy.svg Italy Baselga di Piné Ice Rink Piné 9981985
Flag of Italy.svg Italy Collalbo Arena Ritten11731989
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan Almaty Medeu 16911951Artificial ice in 1972, Included in the defeated bid for 2014 and 2022 Winter Olympics in Almaty.
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Amsterdam Jaap Eden IJsbaan-51961
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Deventer De Scheg61992Semi-covered
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands The Hague De Uithof01989Semi-covered
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Haarlem IJsbaan Kennemerland 01977Semi-covered
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Utrecht De Vechtsebanen -21970Semi-covered
Flag of Norway.svg Norway Oslo Frogner stadion 421914Artificial ice in 2010
Flag of Norway.svg Norway Oslo Valle Hovin 921966Included in the cancelled bid for 2022 Winter Olympics in Oslo and Lillehammer.
Flag of Poland.svg Poland Warsaw Tor Stegny821979
Flag of Poland.svg Poland Zakopane Tor Cos 9321956Included in the cancelled bid for 2022 Winter Olympics in Krakow.
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland Davos Eisstadion Davos 15601894Natural ice, Included in the cancelled bid for 2022 Winter Olympics in Kanton of Graubünden.
Flag of the United States.svg USA Lake Placid James B. Sheffield Olympic Skating Rink 5681977Winter Olympics 1980, Winter Universiade 2023.
Flag of the United States.svg USA Roseville John Rose Minnesota Oval 2761993Refrigerated Ice

References

  1. [ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules] - Rule 203
  2. ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules - Rule 205
  3. ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules - Rule 206
  4. ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules - Rule 228
  5. ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules - Rule 226
  6. ISU Special Regulations and Technical Rules - Rule 204
  7. bandyforbundet.no
  8. image at rsport.ru, via Wayback Machine
  9. image at on.kz, via Wayback Machine
  10. Beijing unveils design of speed skating venue for Olympics
  11. "Сайт любителей русского хоккея — www.kuzbassbandyclub.ru".
  12. kuzbassbandyclub.ru
  13. 1 2 Speed Skating News

See also