Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games lead up – speed skating’s origins

The James C Sheffield Olympic Skating Rink will be a focal point when the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games start on 12 January.

This iconic venue, in the heart of Lake Placid, has been the centre of the speed skating world in the past having hosted the sport at the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics and the 1972 FISU World University Games. This included hosting American Eric Heiden’s incredible five gold medal performance in 1980.

The sport has evolved significantly since the days of Heiden and from its origins over 1000 years ago. At that time, animal shank or rib bone blades were polished and connected to footwear to make the original skates. These were seen in the Netherlands, Finland, and other countries in Scandinavia as skating then was largely a means of transportation, unlike the recreational focus for which it exists today.

As skating continued to develop, a double-edged blade, created by the Dutch in the early 1500s made the use of poles to propel the skater no longer necessary. A skating club was created in in Edinburgh in 1642 as the first known one in the world. That was followed over a century later by the first recorded race which took place over 26km in eastern England, in a region called the Fens, 4 February 1763.

Developments in skate technology continued including the development of all-steel skates in 1850 by American E.W. Bushnell, and more recently the clap33569647250 8c66750fe2 c skate. This more recent innovation was made in 1996 by skaters from the Netherlands and features a hinge at the toe that keeps the blade on the ice longer and extends the stride of the skater. Multiple world records were set at the skate’s Olympic debut in 1998 in Nagano.

15 January is speed skating’s opening day of competition at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games. Over the course of six days some of the fastest women and men in the world will compete in the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, mass start, mixed team relay, and team pursuit. Additionally, the women will compete in the 3000m distance and the men in the 5000m event. On a historic skating oval known for records and great performances, more are to come in the coming weeks in Lake Placid. More information on speed skating at the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games can be found here.

The following references and articles were used in compiling this story: https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/speed-skating-101-olympic-history, NBC Olympics; Speed skating | History, Rules, & Facts | Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica; Speed Skating | The Canadian Encyclopedia, The Canadian Encyclopedia; History of Speedskating — WUC Speed Skating (wucspeedskating2022.com), FISU World University Championship Speed Skating

Written by Doug McLean