How to watch speed skating at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022
Speed skating, among the oldest of the Winter Games, will see legends and up-and-comers both compete at these Beijing 2022 Olympics. Here is everything and everyone you need to look out for.
Speed Skating
A total of 166 speed skating athletes - 83 per gender - will compete at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Blink and you'll miss 'em. These skaters are among the fastest athletes on ice and, with a total of 14 events at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing (also known as the Ice Ribbon), speed skating is the sport with the most events at Beijing 2022.
The 24th Olympic speed skating competition will take place from 5-19 February. Read on to find out the schedule of events and the best way to watch the action.
ALSO: Olympic speed skating at Beijing 2022: Top five things to know
Speed skating events at Beijing 2022
There are 14 speed skating events at Beijing 2022 - seven men's and seven women's.
Speed skating is one of the three skating disciplines at the Winter Olympics (alongside figure skating and short track speed skating) and speed skating is one of only six sports to have been contested at every Winter Olympic Games since debuting in 1924 in France.
Speed skating stars to watch at Beijing 2022
The country to watch, as ever, in Olympic speed skating is the Netherlands. Inventors of the sport, the Dutch are always dangerous on the ice and Beijing 2022 will be no exception.
Sven Kramer continues to be a major force in the men's field. The veteran speedster and nine-time Olympic medallist has already announced the 2022 Games (his fifth) will be his last Olympic go-round.
On the women's side of things, Ireen Wüst (also of the Netherlands) remains a medal contender. She's the most decorated Winter Olympian of all time and will be looking to add to her 11 medals in Beijing.
Other athletes who could challenge for a podium finish at the Games include Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands (gold medallist in the 1000m and 1500m at PyeongChang), Antoinette de Jong (bronze medal in the 3000m at PyeongChang, reigning world champion in the 3000m), Irene Schouten (2018 bronze medallist in the mass start, reigning 5000m world champion), Nils van der Poel of Sweden (the world record holder and defending world champion in the 10000m and 5000m world champion), and of course the Netherlands' men's and women's squads in the team pursuit.
Florida's former inline skate champions Erin Jackson, Brittany Bowe and Joey Mantia will be the ones to watch for Team USA -- while Japanese women's competitor and 2018 gold medallist Ayano Sato is looking dangerous at just the right time.
Speed skating schedule at Beijing 2022
Venue: The National Speed Skating Oval
(All times are in local time, UTC+8)
5 February
16:30 - 17:51 -- Women's 3000m
6 February
16:30 - 18:15 -- Men's 5000m
7 February
16:30 - 17:50 -- Women's 1500m
8 February
18:30 - 19:50 -- Men's 1500m
10 February
20:00 - 21:16 -- Women's 5000m
11 February
16:00 - 17:55 -- Men's 10000m
12 February
16:00 - 16:23 -- Women's Team Pursuit Quarterfinals
16:53 - 17:34 -- Men's 500m
13 February
21:00 - 21:26 -- Men's Team Pursuit Quarterfinals
21:56 - 22:37 -- Women's 500m
15 February
14:30 - 14:42 -- Women's Team Pursuit Semifinals
14:52 - 15:04 -- Men's Team Pursuit Semifinals
15:24 - 15:30 -- Women's Team Pursuit Final D
15:30 - 15:36 -- Women's Team Pursuit Final C
15:43 - 15:49 -- Men's Team Pursuit Final D
15:49 - 15:55 -- Men's Team Pursuit Final C
16:22 - 16:28 -- Women's Team Pursuit Final B
16:28 - 16:34 -- Women's Team Pursuit Final A
16:41 - 16:47 -- Men's Team Pursuit Final B
16:47 - 16:53 -- Men's Team Pursuit Final A
17 February
16:30 - 17:42 -- Women's 1000m
18 February
16:30 - 17:40 -- Men's 1000m
19 February
15:00 - 15:30 -- Men's Mass Start Semifinals
15:45 - 16:15 -- Women's Mass Start Semifinals
16:30 - 16:45 -- Men’s Mass Start Final
17:00 - 17:15 -- Women’s Mass Start Final
How to watch speed skating at Beijing 2022
Speed skating, though among the most elegant and seemingly effortless of the Winter Games, is one of the most demanding physical endeavours in the arena of sport.
"We’re feeling pain that is unimaginable,” said Brittany Bowe of the USA, fastest woman in the world on ice over a distance of 1000m (and a challenger in the 1500m). "At the end of a race, your legs hurt so bad you can’t bend your knees. You taste blood in your mouth. You can’t stand up; you can’t sit down. You can’t bend over to untie your skate because you’ll cramp if you do.”
Each race, taking place over a 400m track made of ice, has specific challenges, with the 500m a "pure sprint" according to Bowe and the 1000 and 1500m more "pretty cool combinations of speed, power and endurance."
The speed skating races you can enjoy at Beijing 2022 are 500m, 1000m, 1500m (men's and women's), 3000m (women's only) and 5000m (in both men's and women's). There's also the 10,000m (men's only) and, finally, the men's and women's mass start and team pursuit.
Despite the many disciplines and distances, one thing remains: Speed skating is one of the most challenging combinations of pure speed, strength and endurance known in sport. Be sure to enjoy it in all its glory!