Speed skating is one of the three skating disciplines at the Winter Olympics, alongside figure skating and short track speed skating.

With 14 events in total, speed skating is the largest sport (in terms of events) at Beijing 2022.

All speed skating events will take place at the National Speed Skating Oval (also known as the Ice Ribbon), which is built on the site of the former Olympic Green Hockey Field and the Olympic Green Archery Field that were used during the 2008 Summer Games.

The Ice Ribbon is the world's first Winter Olympic venue using carbon dioxide transcritical direct cooling ice-making technology and will produce the largest ice surface in Asia with an area of 12,000 square meters. It will be able to accommodate 12,000 spectators (6,800 permanent and 5,200 temporary seats) during the Games, according to the bid book.

The venue can make ice according to the varying needs of different sports and their standards.

OLYMPIC COMPETITION

The Speed skating competition will feature a total of 14 events - seven for men and seven for women.

Men

• 500m
• 1000m
• 1500m
• 5000m
• 10,000m
• Mass start
• Team pursuit

Women

• 500m
• 1000m
• 1500m
• 3000m
• 5000m
• Mass start
• Team pursuit

sport history

Speed skating made its Olympic debut at the inaugural Winter Games at Chamonix, France in 1924. However, women were only authorised to compete in the discipline at the Lake Placid Games in 1932, which was then only a demonstration sport. Women's speed skating was officially included in the Olympic programme at the 1960 Games in Squaw Valley.

Almost all speed skating events consists of two skaters competing alongside one another, with each competitor looking to set the fastest time among all skaters in the field, not just the one they are racing against (save for the mass start and team pursuit events, introduced to the Olympic programme in 2018 and 2006 respectively).