SPEED SKATING AND SHORT TRACK

Arianna Filippi

Isabella Casagrande

SPEED SKATING The speed skating is a form of ice skating in which the

competitors have to travel a certain distance on the ice as soon as possible. The speed skating has its origins in the Netherlands and included in the program of the Olympic Winter Games.

THE ICE RINK This is a speed skating is a oval, often with

artificial ice. A regulatory track must be 400 m. From the point of view of the short track the shorter runway is roughly 111 meters.

COMPETITORS AND RULES In any competition you face two competitors, and usually used two

lanes. The skaters wear an armband to identify which lane they started. The colors are white on the inside lane and red for the outside lane. On the back straight to the finish line skaters will exchange the lane in order to cover the same distance at every turn.

In short track batteries are composed by approximately four athletes but may the number vary in that competition.

THE DISTANCE The simplest form of speed skating consists of the individual

events. This is the format used for the single distance world championships and the World Cup. The typical distances are 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m (women only), 5000 10000 m me.

ICE-SKATES The Clap skates (also

called clap skates, slap skates or skates, from the Dutch klapschaats) are a type of ice skates used in speed skating. Contrary to traditional skates, where the blade is fixed to the boot, the clap skates have the blade attached only via a hinge on the front of the sole.

SVEN KRAMER Sven Kramer (born 23 April

1986) is a Dutch long track speed skater. He is the Olympic champion in Vancouver 2010, as well in Sochi 2014, six-time European, and six-time World Allround Champion. He is also three-time world champion and world record holder in the 5000 m, 10000 m, and the team pursuit.