Everything it takes for speed skaters to dash around the ice
· 2 min read · Aug 24, 2021
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It’s the fastest sport on ice. A simple fact that draws so many into speed skating.
Many aspiring athletes grew up watching the likes of Apolo Ohno and Shani Davis. After seeing these speed skaters compete at a high level on the national stage, a common question is “How can I go that fast on skates?”
At US Speedskating, our National Training Program speed skaters participate in an average of 720 training sessions per year and burn nearly 435,000 calories each year. Talk about a lot of Big Macs and Whoppers! All of this training is solely to try and attain their maximum speeds up to and higher than 30 miles per hour.
So, how do speed skaters go so fast?
Sitting Low
If you’ve ever watched speed skaters race around the ice, you’ve probably noticed that they get extremely close to the ice going around corners. You might’ve even been worried that they might fall over on their side!
Sitting low in proper form is key. 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.
Longer Blades
While watching Ohno and other great American speed skaters on television, you probably noticed their blades are much longer than hockey and figure skates!
The longer blades help speed skaters go faster because they provide more pressure into the ice. These blades also help speed skaters have more grip on the ice while they skate. It’s very similar to track and field athletes wearing spikes on their shoes to have more grip while they run.
Work Hard, Train Hard
Any athlete around the world, no matter what sport, will tell you that training hard every day will get you where you need to be, and speed skating is no different!
It’s never too early to start working out those legs and getting as much lower body strength as possible. At US Speedskating, we truly believe that anyone can achieve greatness in our sport as long as they’re willing to put in the time, work, energy and effort! So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start working!