Speed Skating 7-21 Feb 2026

Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other by competing over a certain distance on skates. There are 3 types of speed skating which are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track".

The origins of speed skating can be traced back more than a thousand years in northern Europe, particularly in the Scandinavian nations and the Netherlands, which continue to be strong speed skating competitors today. Here, the locals would attach bones to their shoes and use them to travel on frozen waterways for recreation or sport. Short-track speed skating developed from the longer races and has become a thrillingly fast and cutthroat sport.