The emergence and development of speed skating in Russia. Speed ​​skating: at what age and what are the benefits A story about speed skating for children

Speed ​​skating is not the most popular and not the most commercially successful sport in our country. Should you send your child to training? What are the pros and cons of this sport?

Story

In ancient times, ice skating was used exclusively for practical purposes. In order to get to an area, bring something or get food. As a rule, this is typical for northern peoples with a harsh climate. And only over time did people come up with the idea of ​​organizing speed competitions.

The first competitions take place in Europe. In London, rules are issued and the world's first skating rink on earth is filled. In Russia, Peter the Great briefly popularized the sport of speed skating. However, the real origin of the sport came at the end of the 19th century. Already in 1924, speed skaters took part in the Olympics. And female speed skaters appeared much later in 1960. Short track and mass start debuted in 1992 and 2018, respectively.

Girls and boys

In speed skating (or speed skating), strict selection occurs at the initial stage. The differences between young athletes of different sexes involved in speed skating are insignificant according to various indicators. This is exactly the sport where girls compete equally with boys. All speed skaters, regardless of gender, develop lungs, body length, strength index, and strong muscles.

From what age

The initial stage of sports training begins at 9 years of age and lasts three years. At this stage, the basics of the chosen sport are mastered, basic skills and abilities are taught. There are no great psychological and physical stresses here.

The sports specialization stage begins at age 12 and lasts five years. At this stage, skills and techniques are consolidated and improved, intensity is increased, and motor skills are trained.

The stage of improving sports skills begins at the age of 13. The stage of highest sportsmanship from the age of 15 - these two stages continue throughout professional life. During this time, when the athlete shows high results and applies all the accumulated experience and knowledge, training becomes the most complex and individual. The number of competitions is increasing, and the athlete lives from start to start.

Stages of sports training

Medical contraindications

Before your first class, you will be required to bring a health certificate. Under no circumstances should you exercise during an exacerbation of chronic diseases. Since sport involves intense stress on the body, it is recommended to see a doctor to avoid adverse consequences.

Contraindications include:

• diseases of joints and bones;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• diseases of the nervous system.

pros

The main advantage of speed skating is its developed coordination and sense of balance. A developed athletic body is a plus. The ability to think quickly and make lightning-fast decisions will help a teenager in later life.

The athlete learns to take responsibility for his actions, since in speed skating you perform alone, and the result depends only on you. For health, this means, first of all, developed lungs. Also during training, blood vessels and immunity are strengthened, endurance and flexibility develop.

Minuses

For speed skaters, intensive training is aimed at honing routine technique, and less than in other sports on theory or tactics.

“The daily routine is as follows: in the summer - exercises and two training sessions, in the winter - two training sessions, morning and evening. Each training session lasts from three to five hours. One day a week is a day off,” says speed skater Dmitry Fedotov.

All this does not always have a positive effect on the athlete’s health; ligament ruptures, sprains, dislocations, fractures, and injuries are not uncommon. Speed ​​skating has a negative impact on the cardiovascular and nervous systems of the body. Moreover, excessive loads on the legs lead to strong muscular development of the lower extremities.

How much do classes cost?

At the children's and youth sports school, classes are free, you only need your own skates and tight clothing. Individual lessons cost about 700 rubles.

How to choose a section

Unfortunately, even in cities with a population of one million people there may be one or two indoor skating rinks, and there are also few sports skating schools. But the good news is that coaches in Russia are passionate about their work, supporting and motivating children. Before speed skating, you can try yourself in figure skating, hockey, or work out on your own.

In any case, you can acquire sports training and be ready for physical activity in related sports. It is considered close to speed skating. When choosing a sports section or school, pay attention to the infrastructure of the ice complex, which is as close as possible to the speed skating standard.

What difficulties might you encounter?

Speed ​​skating involves a lot of physical activity. The training is harder than that of football or hockey players. This is a sport in which you can only rely on yourself. Here you need to play a psychological game alone against all opponents. There is high competition, pressure and psychological stress associated with several participants entering the ice.

You need to learn to be patient. Also, professional athletes note the presence of a feeling of a skating rink or ice. You need to intuitively know when to speed up or make a maneuver, and learning to skate on ice is as natural as walking on land.

Psychological portrait of an athlete

“Sport is life, so behavior in sports should be, as in life - honest, fair, worthy. It’s great if an athlete is physically stronger, but if he’s also tactically smart, that’s doubly great. Of course, sometimes chance and luck help,” says Olympic champion Viktor An.

Calm, collected and strategic mind are the main characteristics of a speed skater. The great athlete Lydia Skoblikova notes that athletes from the same sport are rarely friends with each other, although they have mutual respect for work and victories for their country. Therefore, be prepared, if not for psychological pressure, then for an atmosphere of fierce competition.

Let's sum it up

Big sport takes the lion's share of time and energy, but the return it gives is incomparable with anything else. By sending your child to speed skating, you give him a chance to become independent, strong and successful. The young athlete understands what it means to take responsibility, to be responsible for the result, and learns discipline from childhood. And the most important thing is not to give up, develop and improve yourself. He knows that victories are won through hard work. And even if he decides not to build a career in sports, he will take the best qualities with him into the future.

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Speed ​​skating or ice-skating race- a sport in which it is necessary to cover a certain distance on skates as quickly as possible on an ice stadium in a closed circle. It is divided into classic and short track. Speed ​​skating is one of the oldest sports.

Classic ice skating competition are carried out in the following formats:

All-around the oldest of the formats. Athletes compete at distances of 500 m, 1500 m, 5000 m and 10000 m. Points are awarded for the race - for each second of time spent completing 500 m, 1,000 points are given. The time at other distances is divided by the number by which the given distance is longer than 500 m, then the number of points is calculated, similar to the calculation of points for 500 m, and added to the sum of points received for the previous distances. The winner is the skater who scores the lowest amount. World championships in classical all-around, European championships in classical all-around, national championships are held, and are included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Competitions at selected distances are held at the World Championships at individual distances and World Cup stages. Races are held at distances of 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m (women only), 5000 m and 10000 m (men only), and a team pursuit race is also held. Since 1996, in order to equalize the chances of athletes, two races have been held at 500 m. Each skater starts on the inner track in one, and on the outer track in the second. In the team pursuit, a country can enter one women's and one men's team. The race involves two teams of three skaters. They start simultaneously on opposite sides of the rink from the middle of the inner straight. Women run six laps, men eight. World championships in speed skating are held at selected distances, the World Cup, national championships, and are included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Sprint competitions are held at distances of 500 m and 1000 m (twice at each distance). The results are summarized using a system similar to the all-around. World championships in sprint all-around and national championships are held.

There are also 100m, mile and speed skating marathon competitions.

Short track competition: world championships, European championships, World Cup, national championships, it is also included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Treadmill

The classic version of a speed skating track is an oval with a length of either 400 or 333.3 meters. All major competitions are held exclusively on tracks 400 meters long. The internal turning radius is 25 to 26 meters. The length of each straight and the length of each turn is about 100 meters.

The speed skating rink is divided into two tracks - internal and external. One of the lines is transitional. Each athlete on each lap of the distance is required to change lanes on the transition straight. The exceptions are team races and mass start, where all athletes run on the inside track.

A short track track is usually marked out at a regular hockey stadium. Turns are made with an internal radius of 8 m, the distance between curves is 28.85 m. The distance is 111.12 m - obtained by measuring a distance of 0.5 m from the edge. They drive counterclockwise. In short-distance competitions, in order for speed skaters to turn on “clean” ice, the track and the starting line are shifted slightly from race to race (the finish line with photo-finish equipment is stationary).

Rules

In individual races, athletes compete in pairs. They run in a circle along two tracks (inner and outer) counterclockwise, the owner of the best time wins, and hundredths of a second count. Each pair is allowed to make one false start; the skater who makes the second false start is disqualified. Each lap, athletes change lanes in a specially designated area so that everyone runs the same time.

All races, except the shortest one, are held once. But athletes run the 500 m distance twice (both races take place on the same day), and as a result, the total time is taken into account. Athletes are paired according to the results shown throughout the season and divided into groups. But the starting order and lanes are determined by a random draw.

In a team race, it is no longer pairs of athletes who compete, but pairs of teams consisting of three people. Full teams start simultaneously from different sides of the track. Each of the team members for some time becomes the “leader” of the group and runs first, while his comrades stay behind in the thin air flow. The race ends when the last team member crosses the finish line. That’s how it’s not easy for speed skaters.

In addition, there are many other subtleties. Thus, an athlete has the right to run the distance again if something (for example, the fall of his opponent) prevented him from completing it as he should or injured him. In this case, he is given 30 minutes to recover and then return to the ice. The best of the two results is counted.

Numerous archaeological finds of ancient bone skates on the territory of the USSR indicate that this method of movement on ice and compacted snow has long been known in Russia. Later, when skates lost their importance as a means of transportation, they began to be used for entertainment and recreation. Ice skating was available to people of all classes. Numerous frozen ponds, rivers, and lakes were used for this purpose. Somewhat later they began to fill the skating rinks specially.

Russian craftsmen made homemade skates. For a long time in Russia people skated on wooden skates with an iron runner, and the toes of the skates were decorated with figures resembling a horse’s head (Fig. 9). In the 19th century

At the Tula arms factory, workers made all-metal skates for themselves. There was no mass production of iron skates in Russia; they were brought from abroad.

The first circles and clubs of speed skaters in Russia. The first skating club in

Russia was created in 1864 in St. Petersburg. In 1865, the “Circle of Amateur Skaters” and “St.

St. Petersburg Society of Skating Fans." Later, in 1881, in

Ice skating societies arose in Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Saratov, Tula and other Russian cities. The first sports clubs and circles were small in number; they united representatives of the upper class.

During the birth of speed skating, clubs held evenings of recreation on ice, carnivals, figure skating and ice skating classes. Basically, such skating was of an entertaining nature. Rinks, circles and clubs were in the hands of private entrepreneurs and were closed to the poor. Ordinary people, especially children and youth, skated on homemade skates on frozen ponds and rivers and even held their own competitions.

If at the beginning of the 19th century the tsarist government did not pay any attention to sports, then at the end of the 19th century, in connection with the general rise of the revolutionary movement in the country, it became interested in the activities of sports societies and clubs.

In the fall of 1903, for this purpose, large entrepreneurs in St. Petersburg organized the “Association of St. Petersburg Skaters,” and the bourgeois press called on all skaters to unite. On the eve of the revolution of 1905, the interest of the tsarist government in the activities of sports clubs and circles, whose members were mainly young people, especially increased. Sports magnates acted as patrons and guardians, trying to distract young people from the revolutionary movement.

In 1906, three Moscow societies (“Russian Gymnastic Society.”

The Moscow River Yacht Club and the Hygiene Society) held several joint meetings on speed skating, at which a number of organizational issues regarding the holding of competitions were resolved. Skaters were prohibited from participating in competitions organized by private entrepreneurs for profit. It was also decided to hold competitions according to international rules, to determine the winner by points (for

1st place - one point, 2nd - two points, etc.). From that time on, precise measuring of the treadmill was introduced and competitions began to be held with the participation of a panel of judges. All speed skaters received sports categories in accordance with their sports and technical results.

These decisions contributed to the streamlining of affairs in speed skating.

After 1905, in Russian sports there was a tendency to unite small sports organizations into larger ones, and this, in turn, led to the creation of all-Russian associations (leagues) in various sports. So, in

1911 The Moscow circle of amateur skaters and cyclists was founded. The circle was founded by N. Strunnikov, V. Vasyukov, V. Zelenoe, B.

Shiperko, and S. Kholsky. In May 1911, a charter was developed and approved. During its short existence, this circle managed to become one of the strongest sports organizations in Russia.

In 1913, the Moscow Skating League was created, which in the same year issued the rules for international speed skating competitions and held the first major competitions for the prize named after the world and European champion

1910 and 1911 Nikolai Strunnikov. In 1915, the Moscow Skating League decided to award the title of Russian champion based on the smallest amount of places taken in four distances. In 1916, the All-Russian Skating Union was created.

Competitions for the Russian Championship. The first official Russian speed skating championship was held in Moscow on February 19, 1889.

This championship, like the four subsequent ones, was played at a distance of 3 versts (1 verst = 1067 m). The first champion of Russia in speed skating was St. Petersburg resident Alexander Panshin.

In 1890, rules for speed skating competitions were published in St. Petersburg.

Since 1891, foreign speed skaters were also allowed to participate in Russian championships, but Russian speed skaters invariably won the title of champions. Since 1894, distances began to be measured in the metric system, and this year's Russian championship was played for the first time at a distance of 3000 m.

Skaters ran in pairs along two tracks. The three skaters who showed the best time competed in the final. They started one at a time after 20 seconds. The Russian championship was held in two distances - 1500 and 5000 m.

The title of national champion was awarded if the runner won both distances. This condition proved so difficult that in 1896, 1897,

1899, 1900, 1902, 1903 Not a single skater was able to win the champion title. In 1904, the talented walker Nikolai became the champion of Russia

Sedov, who held this title for 4 years in a row, was then replaced by Nikolai

Strunnikov - champion 1908, 1909, 1910 During these years, competitions were already held at three distances - 500, 1500 and 5000 m in one day.

N. Strunnikov was replaced by the walkers Vasily and Platon Ippolitov,

Nikita Naydenov, and in 1914 - Yakov Melnikov.

In 1915, for the first time, the Russian championship was played according to the large all-around program (500, 1500, 5000 and 10000 m). It was necessary to win three distances or win one of them and score the least amount of points

(places) at other distances. Y. Melnikov won three distances and became the champion of Russia. Competitions 1916 and 1917 took place in a sharp sports struggle between Y. Melnikov and P. Ippolitov.

Ultra-long distance skating races were also held in Russia. So, in 1910 and

1914 a run was made along the route Taganrog - Rostov.

In pre-revolutionary Russia, the number of women involved in speed skating was insignificant, and the level of sports and technical results was extremely low. In 1910, for the first time, women ran one lap together with men, holding hands. Only in 1911 did women begin to compete in single races at a distance of 500 m. In total, from 1911 to 1912, only three competitions were held for women. And only in 1913, the Moscow Skating League included running in the competition program for the Moscow Championship. skating for women. In the same year, women took part in competitions for the first time in tracksuits. The first champion of Russia was E. Kremenchevskaya, showing a result of 65 seconds at a distance of 500 m.

Russian speed skaters at international competitions. The first performance of St. Petersburger Gusarov took place in Vienna in 1882, and within five years Russian speed skaters firmly occupied a leading position in international speed skating.

In 1887, A. Panshin performed on skates of his own design with an elongated straight blade. Since 1887, A. Panshin has been ahead of representatives of Finland and Austria in international meetings, breaking the record of the Norwegian A.

Paulsen in the 1 mile run.

In December 1888, the Amsterdam Skating Club organized a competition for the title of the best speed skater in the world. To become a winner, you had to win three distances. A. Panshin was the first in two distances, ahead of the strongest skaters in America, England and Holland. According to the rules, the title of world champion was not awarded in the 1888/89 season, but superiority

A. Panshin was obvious. Victories at international competitions brought well-deserved success to Russian speed skating

In 1906, A. Panshin was replaced by equally talented walkers (S.

Puresev, N. Kryukov, N. Sedov, G. Kiselev, N. Strunnikov), who successfully competed abroad in long-distance running. Somewhat later, another wonderful runner appeared in Russia - E. Burkov, who at the 1909 World Championships was first in the 5000 and 10,000 m races.

In 1910, N. Strunnikov won the World and European Championships, scoring the best total points. At a distance of 10,000 m, he managed to get ahead of O.

Matisena. In 1911, N. Strunnikov won victories at the European and World Championships and set a new world record in the 5000 m race - 8.37.2.

In 1913, another famous Russian speed walker, V. Ippolitov, became the European champion and took 2nd place at the World Championships, winning two distances - 5000 and 10,000 m. In 1914, only O. Mathisen was ahead of him at the European and World Championships.

Thus, Russian speed skaters, taking part in major competitions, set world records and achieved victories at European and world championships.

List of used literature.

Speed ​​skating (speed skating)- an Olympic sport in which you need to cover a certain distance on skates faster than your opponents. Currently, speed skating competitions are held in a closed circle. Speed ​​skating competitions are held separately for men and women.

History of the emergence and development of speed skating

Speed ​​skating is one of the most ancient sports. Archaeological finds indicate that people used prototypes of skates more than 3,000 years ago. For the first time in literature, skating was mentioned by the monk Stephanius in his work “Chronicle of the Noble City of London” in 1174.

In 1742, the first skating clubs began to appear in Scotland.

In 1763, the first ice skating competitions were officially recorded, but at that time there were no clearly defined rules and these were simply races.

In 1772, the first rules for speed skating appeared.

Since 1830, skating clubs began to appear in England, America and Russia. In 1879, the first national championship was organized in England.

In 1889, the first world ice skating championships took place in the Netherlands. The winner was Russian athlete Alexander Panshin.

In 1892, the International Skating Union (International Skating Federation) was founded, which awarded the 1889 competition the status of professional and similar competitions began to be held annually. The International Skating Union organizes and conducts speed skating competitions.

European Championships for men began to be held in 1893, and for women in 1970.

Speed ​​skating has been part of the Winter Olympics since its inception. Initially, the races were held at four distances - 500, 1500, 5000, 10,000 meters and all-around.

In 1967, the International Skating Union adopted short track speed skating under its auspices, competitions in which began to be held in 1981. In 1992, short track speed skating was included in the Olympic Games program.

Speed ​​skating rules

At competitions, athletes run in pairs counterclockwise. At the start, one athlete is on the outer lane and the other on the inner lane, and after each lap the skaters are required to change lanes. When changing lanes, there are situations when athletes find themselves on a straight line next to each other. If this happens, the athlete on the inner track must let the runner on the outer track pass. Failure to comply with this rule will result in disqualification. Team races and mass starts take place exclusively on the internal track.

In short track speed skating, athletes also move counterclockwise, but up to six athletes can take part in a race. Skaters are prohibited from interfering or helping other participants in any way, as well as knocking down the markers that limit the track and putting their foot forward at the finish line, tearing the skate off the ice.

Speed ​​skating track

The speed skating track is an oval 400 or, much less frequently, 333 meters long. The internal turning radius is 25-26 meters. The straight sections of the route are approximately 100 meters long.

The speed skating track has two tracks (inner and outer). One of the straight sections is a transition section for athletes; in this section, tracks change on each lap.

The short track track is 111.12 meters long, the radius of turns is 8 meters, and the distance between curves is 28.85 meters. Typically, a short track track is marked on a hockey field.

Speed ​​skating equipment

For speed skating, special klap skates (klap skate) were invented - special skates for classical running. The blade on such skates is fixed with a special spring hinge and only on the front part of the boot. This is done specifically to increase the repulsion phase, and, therefore, allows you to achieve higher speeds.

A speed skating suit (suit) must follow the natural shape of the athlete’s body. Inserts or elements that change the shape of the body are prohibited. To protect against injury, athletes may wear shin, ankle, and knee protection under their overalls.

A protective helmet in speed skating must follow the shape of the head.

In short track speed skating, athletes additionally wear goggles, gloves, knee pads, and neck protection.

Judging

The panel of judges at international competitions includes:

• referee;
• assistant referees;
• starters with assistants;
• finish judge;
• timekeepers (manual timing);
• timekeepers (automatic timing);
• lap counters;
• judges on the track - one at each turn (at the championships of the International Skating Union and at the Olympic Games - 2 at each turn);
• crossing judge;
• necessary substitutes for judges;
• ice technical expert.

Speed ​​skating competition

• The Olympic Games are the most prestigious championship in speed skating, held once every four years.
• The World Championships (WCH) in speed skating is a series of international sports competitions held by the International Skating Union.
• European Speed ​​Skating Championships.
• The World Cup is a series of winter speed skating competitions held under the auspices of the International Skating Federation.
• National Championships.

2016-06-30

Speed ​​skating is one of the modern popular sports. There are different types depending on the distance covered. But the general rules and principles are the same for everyone. Therefore, to understand the issue, it is enough to know what speed skating is.

Speed ​​skating is an Olympic sport. In it, the main goal is to skate a certain distance faster than your opponents. According to modern rules, it is a vicious circle. At the same time, two athletes overcome it; a group of qualified judges monitors their race and records the time it took them to complete the race. The athlete who runs the track faster than the rest is declared the winner of the competition.

History of origin and development

The first written mentions of the appearance of footwear date back to the medieval period. But there is evidence that people were skating as early as 1000 BC.

Therefore, speed skating can rightfully be considered one of the oldest. It first received the status of a competition already in the 18th century. According to historical chronicles, the first rules for holding competitions were established in 1772. But at the same time it was called skating. The name of this sport was invented only later after the rules were written.

Over the next 100 years, speed skating developed in Russia, America and England and basically did not go beyond the borders of these countries. But until 1842, speed skaters competed exclusively on the ice of open reservoirs, until the first artificial skating rink was filled. And already in 1889, the first international speed skating competitions took place. The winner was the Russian athlete Alexander Panshin. After this, Russia created its own skating union, and the sport was actively developed.

Similar things happened all over the world, the International Skating Union was created, and competitions at various levels were regularly held. And finally, with the creation of the Winter Olympic Games, speed skating became one of the main competitions.

Speed ​​skating rules

Since the creation of speed skating, its rules have undergone changes several times:

1. Only two athletes are on the track at a time.
2. The movement proceeds counterclockwise along a circular track.
3. After completing the circle, the skaters change lanes. This is done in order to neutralize the advantage of the athlete who runs on the inside of the track.
4. While changing lanes, it is strictly forbidden to interfere with your partner; violation of this rule is punishable by disqualification.
5. At the start there is a starter judge who monitors the correct start of the race. In case of a false start, the results of the race are canceled and it is re-run; after the third false start, the athlete is disqualified.
6. Athletes who showed the same time, according to the results of the race, occupy the same places; a repeated race is unacceptable.
7. Three athletes participate in team races, they ride on the inner track.
8. Check-in time is fixed according to the last participant.

Speed ​​skating track

The speed skating track has an oval shape with a strip of ice 400 meters long. The straight sections of the track are about 100 meters long, and the turning radius is in various cases 25-26 meters.

On one of the straight sections of the track there is an area for changing lanes between athletes on each lap.

Judging

At all speed skating competitions, compliance with the rules is monitored by a large group of judges, consisting of:

• referee and his assistants;
• a starter with assistants who monitor the start;
• judge recording the finish;
• chronometer, automatic and manual;
• lap counter;
• a transition judge monitoring the change of lanes between athletes;
• judges on the track stand at every turn and monitor compliance with the rules;
• reserve judges;
• an expert monitoring the condition of the ice.

Speed ​​skating competition

At the moment, competitions among speed skaters are held at different levels every year:

1. National Championships.
2. World Championships.
3. Europe championship.
4. World Cup.

And once every four years, the most prestigious competitions for speed skating are held - the Winter Olympic Games.

Short track and speed skating: differences

It arose historically later than speed skating, and for a long time was considered one of its varieties. But recently it separated and is now considered an independent species. In it, athletes also run counterclockwise along an icy track and compete to see who can reach the finish line the fastest. But still, these sports have fundamental differences:

1. The length of the track is 111.12 m with a turning radius of 8 m.
2. Races are short distance only and there are no long distance races of 5,000m and 10,000m.
3. Up to 6 athletes can be on the track at the same time.
4. There is no division into tracks. There are also no requirements for the mandatory movement of athletes along the track; they have the right to independently make decisions about how and along what trajectory they should move.
5. for short track they are sharpened differently to better fit into the turn. At the same time, they have a fundamentally different design; the blade is rigidly fixed in them.

Speed ​​skating: pros and cons

• development of coordination;
• increasing endurance;
• strengthening the immune system;
• improving the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

• girls who are professionally involved in speed skating may experience deformation of their legs due to the heavy load on them;
• traumatic.

Speed ​​skating: benefits

Any type of skating develops a person's sense of balance and coordination, including speed skating. It also helps improve flexibility and dexterity and has health benefits.

Attention! Therefore, this sport is well suited for weak children, it allows them to develop and improve their natural skills.

Speed ​​skating: contraindications

Speed ​​skating is quite traumatic, so doctors do not recommend it for people who have musculoskeletal disorders, bone defects and increased bone fragility.

In addition, it is prohibited for people with weakened immune systems, problems with the nervous and cardiovascular systems, and joint diseases.

Speed ​​skating equipment

In speed skating, special skates are used - valves. They differ from ordinary ones in that the blade is attached to the boot using a spring hinge and only in the front part. This allows you to increase the skating phase and the athlete. In addition, flap skates give athletes more maneuverability and help them pay more attention to their skating technique.

Boots and blades for them are made separately. Boots should perfectly follow the shape of the leg and fit comfortably on the foot. As a rule, boots are sold unfinished and require thermal adjustment to the shape of the foot. For professional athletes, boots are immediately made according to the anatomical features of the feet.

The overalls in which the athlete performs must follow the contours of his body as much as possible in order to improve aerodynamics and increase running speed. Any inserts into a suit that change the shape of the body are strictly prohibited by the rules of speed skating.

In order to protect against injury, it also necessarily includes a helmet made to the shape of the skater’s head, and optional protection for the elbows and shins.

Speed ​​skating stars

Russia

The first outstanding speed skater in Russia was Alexander Panshin. It was he who gave the start to the active development of this sport in our country. Panshin became the first world and Russian champion, and set a world record in the 1500-meter speed skating race at the championship in Prague. After which he began to improve the shape and design of speed skating skates.

Another honored Russian speed skater is Yakov Melnikov. During his active sports activities, he set 27 national records and is a multiple champion of Russia and the world.

The first female speed skater from Russia to achieve outstanding results is Maria Isakova. She held the title of world champion for three years in a row. In 1951 she set a new world record at a distance of 1500 meters. She was the first among Russian athletes to take part in international competitions and showed the best results there.

During the first Winter Olympic Games, held in 1956 in Italy, Soviet speed skaters won 4 gold medals. The following athletes received them: Yuri Mikhailov, Evgeniy Grishin, Boris Shilkov. Evgeniy Grishin subsequently became an Olympic champion three more times.

In 1984, a 10,000-meter speed skating marathon was held, and for the first time the Soviet athlete Igor Malkov won it.

The leaders of speed skating in modern Russia are Ivan Skobrev and Denis Yuskov.

Ivan set two national records at distances of 5,000 and 10,000 meters. He became the champion of Russia and the world many times.

Denis Yuskov is a three-time world champion in the 1500 meters, he received two World Cups in 2016 and 2018. He is the current Russian record holder at a distance of 1500 meters. He actively continues to participate in competitions and reach new heights.

Among the world powers in speed skating, the USA, Canada, Japan and the Republic of Korea have achieved success.

For example, Korean Lee Sang-hwa has been the absolute leader in the women's 500 meters for the last few years and holds the world record.

Heather Richardson Bergsma, a native of the United States, set the world record for women at a distance of 1000 meters. Also in 2011, she won the World Cup at this distance. At the same time, she started speed skating at the age of 18, but this did not stop her from achieving high results.

Nao Kodaira is a Japanese speed skater. She won a silver medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in the 1000 meter team race and set a new women's record for this distance.

Ted-Jan Bloemen competes for the Netherlands and has won the world title three times in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters. At the Olympic Games in 2018, he won a silver medal, losing to the Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer.

Sven Kramer is one of the most titled modern speed skaters. He has 19 World Championship medals at individual distances and 9 all-around medals.

Speed ​​skating is one of the leading sports of our time. He raised many famous people. It is prestigious and honorable to engage in it; in addition, playing sports will strengthen the immune system, develop muscle strength, agility and endurance.