Speed Skating Canada has a “skater development” sectionthat outlines its long-term athlete development model for learning how to speed skate. This is an invaluable resource for parents who want to give their kids the right start in the sport.
Speed skaters need to be able to run, roll, throw, jump, glide, and kick. They also need to develop agility, balance, coordination, and speed (as in explosive “quickness” of muscles).
But before a child can even think about racing, they need to be confident on the ice. And the best way to get a child skating is to hit your community rink.
Many facilities will rent skates – and helmets, which are mandatory in many jurisdictions – that you can all wear to get a start. When your kids start bugging you to go to the rink every day, you can always find good skates at your local sports swap.
Activities your child can do now
Even before your children put on skates you can do the following activities with them to help develop skills for speed skating:
Core training for speed skating should focus on the abdominals including rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, transverse abdominus and intercostals, upper and lower back (deltoids, rhomboids, lats), hips (gluteals, hip flexors, psoas), outer and inner thighs (abductors and adductors), hamstrings, even some ...
By getting so low around turns and throughout their races, speed skaters are much more aerodynamic, allowing for tighter turns and faster speeds. The proximity to the ground also allows speed skaters to get longer pushes in their strides to go even faster.
On flat ground, the conventional method for gaining speed is to push off with one foot. But the curved surfaces of half-pipes and bowls present a much more elegant option for the speed-hungry skater. It's called pumping.
You need power quads to be an elite speed skater, and nothing beats the squat. Frouke Oonk, who has competed in the World Championships, is being spotted by Chris Witty (left) and two-time Olympian Marieke Wijsman. Photo courtesy US Speed Skating.
In the World Cup and World Championships, one race is skated and the teams are ranked by their finishing time. In the Olympic format, a team that overtakes the other has automatically won the race and the remaining distance is not skated.
Starting on the toes is the key to this. Players who start on the full blades tend to glide on the initial strides. This makes leg speed slower, and players often feel as though they are stuck in the mud. At my power skating clinics, I often see players executing great toe starts.
Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track".
Teams will qualify according to a ranking of the total time for their best ranked Skater in the 500m for Women and the 500m for Men. Each heat (race) includes four (4) Teams. Exchange zone: Beginning at the 500m start line; relay must be completed before the 1000m finishing line.
Introduction: My name is Stevie Stamm, I am a colorful, sparkling, splendid, vast, open, hilarious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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