Sport Overview:

Long Track Basics:

Long track speedskating has been an Olympic event for men since 1924, with the women’s
event joining in at the 1960 Olympic Games. Originally skaters raced “pack style” events on
an outdoor 400 meter oval. Competition was in a single lane, with competitors making turns
in the counter clockwise direction. This made for fast and exciting races, with each competitor
jockeying for position on the ice around each turn, concluding in a final field sprint at the end
of the race. As the sport evolved, skaters continue to skate in the original counterclockwise
direction but with technological advancements in equipment, racing suits and ice arenas,
today’s athletes exceed speeds over 40 mph. Skaters race each other in separate lanes at
blinding speeds and although visually, the race looks like it pits skater against skater; the two
competitors are not racing each other, but rather the clock. The gracefulness of the sport can
often make a spectator forget how fast they are really going.

The Rules:

Skaters compete in separate lanes; each lane is divided by snow or markers. The inside lane
is shorter than the outside lane. In order for each racer to skate the same distance they must
change lanes during each lap at the crossover point in the backstretch. The skater crossing the
outer lane to the inner lane has the right of way, since he would have opened a large lead to
arrive at the cross-over earlier than his opponent in the shorter inner curve.

Any collision with or obstruction of an opponent during the cross-over can result in a
disqualification of the offender and a chance to re-skate by the injured party. When entering
a curve, the skater may not cross the lane markers, though referees usually permit the skater to
nick the lane markers with his or her left foot.

Skaters compete in several heats called “pairs”. However, unlike in other sports, winning the
“pair” does not necessarily mean the skater will move up to another “bracket”, “place”, or
have won the event. The winner of the event is actually determined strictly on time. The fastest
competitor of the day wins the event, no matter what final pair they competed in.

Pairs and lane assignments are determined by a drawing conducted before the event. Names
are drawn two at a time from each seeding pool, forming a pair. Each pair skates in the order
in which it was drawn.

The Start:

Skaters start either side-by-side or staggered, depending on the distance of the race. The 500
meter and 10,000 meter are side-by-side starts, and the rest are all staggered. The skater
starting in the inner track wears a white armband; the skater in the outer lane wears a red arm
band. When the starter orders “go to the start”, both skaters move to the area between the prestarting
line and the starting line. At the word “ready”, both skaters assume their exact starting
positions, holding them until the starter fires the gun. The group is allowed one warning for a
false start before disqualification.

The first false start will be given to both skaters, no matter who is at fault. This is a relatively
new rule that was created in an effort to reduce false starts. If a skater has another false start
they will be disqualified and the remaining skater of the pair skates alone.

The Finish:

A skater has completed the distance when he or she has touched or reached the finish line with
his or her skates, as recorded by an electric eye beam. The winner for each event is the skater
with the low time, measured to 1/100th of a second, after all the pairs have raced. If two
skaters tie, they shall be judged as tied No deciding heats or tie-breakers are allowed.

Disqualification:

A skater can be disqualified for the following infractions:
• Failure to appear promptly at the start.
• Two false starts.
• Crossing lane markers while in the curves. Subject to the ruling from the referee.
• Failure to change lanes in the crossing area.
• Interfering with an opponent when changing lanes. Subject to ruling from the referee.
• Interfering with an opponent when passing or being passed. Usually occurs in quartet starts.

The Distances:

Men’s/Women’s 500-meter
START: Side by side. Located at the beginning of the finish straight section of the track.
DISTANCE: One-and-one-fourth laps.

Men’s/Women’s 1,000-meter
START: Staggered, located in the middle of the backstretch-crossover straight section of the track.
DISTANCE: Two-and-one-half laps, finishing the middle of the final straight. This is the only
distance which finishes in the middle of the straight; all other finish at the end of the finish straight.

Men’s /Women’s 1,500-meter
START: Staggered, located at the beginning of the backstretch-crossover straight section of the track.
DISTANCE: Three-and-three-quarters laps, finishing at the end of the finish straight.

Women’s 3,000-meter
START: Staggered, located at the end of the backstretch-crossover straight section of the track.
DISTANCE: Seven-and-one-half laps, finishing at the end of the finish straight.

Men’s/ Women’s 5,000-meter
START: Staggered, located at the end of the backstretch-crossover straight section of the track.
DISTANCE: Twelve-and-one-half laps, finishing at the end of the finish straight.

Men’s 10,000-meter
START: This is the same place as the finish, located at the end of the start/finish straight.
DISTANCE: Twenty-five laps.