Speed of the Fastest Human, Skating
An educational, fair use website
| Bibliographic Entry | Result (w/surrounding text) |
Standardized Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ice Skating. The Columbia Encyclopedia: Sixth Edition. 2000. | "In speed-skating events, racers may reach speeds as high as 30 mi (48 km) per hr." | 13 m/s |
| Fastest 500 M. time for a male speed skater. Guinness World Records. | "The fastest 500 M. skated by a man stands at 34.63 secs., by Jeremy Wotherspoon (Canada), in Calgary, Canada, on January 29, 2000." | 14.44 m/s |
| Eric Heiden, Speed Skating - 1980. The History of The Winter Games. Olympic Museum Lausanne. | "Heiden's first moment of glory came in the 500 meters, his weakest event. Paired against world-record holder Yevgeny Kulikov of the Soviet Union, Heiden stormed into the lead when the Russian faltered in the turn. Heiden's time of 38.03 seconds was an Olympic mark." | 13.15 m/s |
| Casey Fitz Sort-of Newsletter Jan 11, 2001. Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Dec. 27, 2000. | "[Casey] FitzRandolph holds American records in the 500 meters (35.28 seconds) and the 1,000 (1:09.72), both established during the past two years on the Olympic oval in Calgary, Alberta." | 14.17 m/s (500 m) 14.34 m/s (1000 m) |
In speed skating events, racers may reach speeds as high as 14 m/s. There are many extraordinary people that know how to skate really fast. Skating, besides being an important form of winter recreation and the essential skill in the game of ice hockey, has developed into three different sports: speed skating, figure skating, and ice dancing. All three are now features of the Winter Olympic games.
Jackson Haines, an American, revolutionized figure skating in the 1860s, skating to music, bringing balletic movements to ice, and creating new ones. One of the most beautiful and graceful events in all sport, international figure skating requires skaters to perform a short program that includes mandatory jumps and skills, and then a longer program of free selection, both set to music. Judging is subjective and often controversial.
Speed skating is a very exciting and intense sport. I found a lot of information on a lot of great skaters. Olympic races are around the ovals of 500, 1000, 1500, 5000, and 10,000 (for men only). Jeremy Wotherspoon holds the world record for the 500 meters, 34.63 s; and Casey FitzRanandolph holds the US record for the 500 meters, 35.28 s.
A little information to know. The earliest skates made of bone were found in Sweden. Wooden skates with iron facings appeared in the 14th Century. Skates made entirely of iron were introduced in the 17th Century. Steel skates, with straps and clamps to fasten them to the shoes, were sold in the 1850s, and later came the skate permanently attached to the shoe. Skating has long been a means of travel in countries with long, cold winters, such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, and especially Holland. I never new all of this but it was fun researching it.
Siddiqua Mohammed -- 2001
| Bibliographic Entry | Result (w/surrounding text) |
Standardized Result |
|---|---|---|
| Kato names three threats for 500m gold. NBC/Reuters. Posted: 8 February 2006, Updated: 13 February 2006. | "World-record holder Joji Kato said on Wednesday he would have to beat three tough sprinters to clinch the 500m crown at the Torino Games. The Japanese sprinter, who broke the record less than three months ago clocking 34.30 seconds, said Canadian Jeremy Wotherspoon, American world sprint champion Joey Cheek and Russia's Dmitry Dorofeyev stood between him and the gold medal." | 14.58 m/s (world record) |
| Casey FitzRandolph. NBCOlympics.com Profiles. February 2006. | "Competing in his second Olympics, American Casey FitzRandolph won the gold medal in the men's 500m. His time of 1 minute, 9.26 seconds, including an Olympic record 34.42 first heat, beat defending Olympic champion Hiroyasu Shimizu of Japan and compatriot Kip Carpenter." | 14.53 m/s (olympic record) |
Editor's Supplement -- 2006