Speed+Skating

__Speed Skating__

 __ The History __- Ice skating or speed skating goes back to over 1,000 years ago. Men and women laced animal bones to the bottom of their footwear and slid across frozen lakes and rivers. A scotsman invented the actual skate in 1592. The first organized race was in 1763 and held on the Fens of England. Speed skating started in the mid 1500’s and is now a featured sport in the Olympics. Speed Skating made its first appearance at the first Winter Olympics in 1924 in Chamonix, France.

__ Country of Origin- __ Speed skating originated in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. In the 1600’s it became a useful and popular way of transportation for the Dutch. The first American speed skating club was established in Philadelphia in 1849. It then spread to New York and Washington, then slowy across the nation. To this day the Dutch are one of the most competive countries along with the Koreans.

__*Terms to Know when Speed Skating*__  Air resistance In the men''s 500m race, air resistance is equivalent to a force of 5kg which accounts for nearly 70% of the physical resistance to overcome. Friction between skates and ice accounts for the remaining 30%  Gravitational force  Going around a curve, the skater is pushed outward at a force of 60kg in the inner lane and 52kg in the outer lane. To counteract this centrifugal force, the skater leans 45° when in the inner lane and 49° in the outer. This results in a gravitational force equivalence of 90kg on one leg in the inner lane and 76.5kg in the outer.  Heat All races consist of one heat except the 500m, in which there are two heats with competitors taking it in turns to start in the outside lane.  International Skating Union (ISU) The International Skating Union (ISU) is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as speed skating''s official governing body. The ISU makes the rules, trains and certifies judges, and determines how international figure skating competitions, including the Olympics, are run.  Lane The athletes change corridors each lap on the back straight. The skater passing from the outside lane to the inside lane has priority.  Markers Indicate the line the skater must follow. An athlete can shift them and change lanes, as long as the distance skated is not reduced  Skating pattern The skater propels forward by using a combination of movements veering to and from the trajectory taken by the body on a 1mm wide blade.

 Start A staggered start for all races except the 500m race. Competitors line up 2m from the start line. When the judge calls them forward they approach the line, and begin skating when the starting pistol is fired. Two false starts lead to disqualification.

__*Some Rules to Abide by When Speed Skating*__

**Collisions** To avoid collisions, right-of-way is given to the skater switching from the outer to the inner lane during crossovers. If there is a collision, the skater leaving the inner lane is held responsible, unless the skater in the outer lane obstructs the other competitor.  Skaters are not allowed to cross the inner line of the curve at either end of the oval -- as defined by movable blocks placed on the ice -- to shorten the distance of the race. A violation of this rule may result in disqualification. <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Skaters may be disqualified from a race for the following violations: <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">In the team pursuit competition, if an individual skater is disqualified for a violation of the rules, his or her entire team is disqualified. <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Skaters that fall during the race can get up and continue the event. If a skater falls just before the finish line, the time is recorded at the moment the competitor's skate crosses the line. <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Skaters can re-skate a race when they are victim to a serious interference, including the fall of an opponent or an obstacle on the track. If this happens, skaters are allowed 30 minutes to rest before repeating the event. The best time in the two heats will be used for the athlete's final score. <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">If a skater cannot stay in the inner lane within a curve because he or she is traveling at such a high speed, the athlete may cross into the other lane as long as he or she does not interfere with the competitor in the outer lane. The skater must then return to the inner lane or he or she will be disqualified.
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Cutting the lines **
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Disqualifications **
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Making two false starts
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Crossing lines that divide the lanes
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Not changing lanes at the crossover point
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Interfering with other skaters during the lane change
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Falls **
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Fresh starts **
 * <span style="color: #00b0f0; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 12pt;">Interference **

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