This was published 12 years ago
Sochi Winter Sports: Speed Skating
Aussie history:
A number of Australia's Winter Olympics legends were speed skaters. Kenneth Kennedy became the first Australian Winter Olympian in 1936 while Colin Hickey represented Australia in three Olympic Games from 1952 to 1960.Australia’s best performance came from Colin Coates at Innsbruck 1976 when he finished sixth in the 10,000m. Coates was still going in 1988 when he capped a 20 year Olympic career with his fastest 10,000 metres ever. Sophie Muir (pictured) made history at Vancouver 2010 as Australia’s first female speed skater. (Getty)
Fast facts:
Pairs racing features a crossover each lap in which racers change lanes, eliminating the advantage of drawing an inside berth. (Getty)
Fast facts:
Long track speed skating is held on a 400m oval rink with skaters racing in lanes and in pairs. There are 12 events in Speed Skating: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m for both men and women, 3000m for women, 10,000m for men and team pursuit for men and women. (Getty)
Fast facts:
Strict rules oversee these crossovers to ensure there is no interference. Turns are also common areas for interference. A skater who is interfered with during the race receives the option to skate the distance again. (Getty)
Fast facts:
Team pursuit is skated by teams of three skaters with two teams racing at a time, starting on each side of the track at a line in the middle of the straightway. Men skate eight laps and women skate six laps, using only the inner lane. The Olympic format involves several rounds of exclusion between the two teams. (Getty)
