Get app
Step onto the fast ice! Test your knowledge on the history, quirky facts, and legendary moments of racing on long blades.
Rookie on Blades 0–4 · Lap Counter 5–8 · Oval Legend 9–10
Tap the right answer
At speeds reaching over 50 kilometers per hour, wind resistance is a skater's biggest enemy. The suits are engineered in wind tunnels using advanced fabrics that channel air smoothly over the body. Even tiny seams are strategically placed to prevent drag from slowing the athlete down by fractions of a second.
Photo: McSmit, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tap the right answer
A standard speed skating track is exactly 400 meters long, which is the same distance as a standard outdoor running track. The ice must be kept at a very specific temperature—usually around minus seven degrees Celsius—to ensure it is hard enough for high-speed gliding but not too brittle for sharp turns.
Tap the right answer
The Dutch have dominated speed skating for decades, winning well over a hundred Olympic medals in total. In the Netherlands, the sport is deeply woven into their culture, partly because frozen canals served as natural winter highways for centuries. In summer, many of them keep training on inline skates.
Tap the right answer
South Korea has been incredibly dominant in short track speed skating since the sport was officially added to the Winter Olympics in 1992. The country's skaters are famous for their intense training regimes and incredible cornering techniques, which allow them to make daring passes on the inside of tight turns.
Tap the right answer
Because short track is highly chaotic with tight turns, small rubber blocks are placed on the ice to mark the boundary. Skaters often brush past or even slide over them. To help maintain balance while leaning heavily into these tight corners, skaters wear gloves with smooth epoxy fingertips so they can safely touch the ice.
Photo: KOREA.NET, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Tap the right answer
The earliest skates, dating back over 3,000 years, were made from the leg bones of horses, cows, or deer. People drilled holes into the bones and tied them to their shoes with leather straps. Rather than pushing off with their feet like modern skaters, they used hand-held poles to push themselves forward.
Photo: Duckhunter6424, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Tap the right answer
Eric Heiden swept all five men's speed skating events at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games, setting Olympic records in every single one. What makes this even more incredible is that his golden streak spanned everything from the short 500-meter sprint to the grueling 10,000-meter endurance race, a feat of versatility that has never been repeated.
Photo: Koen Suyk / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Tap the right answer
The clap skate features a hinge at the toe, allowing the blade to remain in contact with the ice longer during each stride. When the skater lifts their foot, the spring-loaded heel snaps back against the boot with a distinct 'clap' sound. This simple change led to a wave of new world records at the 1998 Olympics.
Photo: Ardo191 at English Wikipedia ), Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
Tap the right answer
To ensure both competitors skate the exact same distance, long track skaters must swap lanes on the back straightaway of every single lap. The skater transitioning from the outside lane to the inside lane has the right of way, and failing to yield can lead to instant disqualification.
Photo: McSmit, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Tap the right answer
The Elfstedentocht is a historic 200-kilometer race held on frozen canals, rivers, and lakes in Friesland. Because winters have become warmer, the last one so far was skated in 1997, as the ice must be at least 15 centimeters thick along the entire route to safely support the thousands of participants.
Photo: Brbbl, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Want to make a quiz like this yourself? Do it on Votur, it's free.
Paste the code into your page. The player fits itself in, and every vote counts in Votur.
On WordPress, Ghost or Squarespace? Just paste the link of this page into your post.
This is how it looks
Also fun
