Skating - interesting facts

Speed skating is not for nothing called a sport for the strong and hardy. Willpower, ability to concentrate is an excellent reward that every athlete receives. The first to discover the advantages of skates are the ancient Cimmerians. Features of modern competition on skates are fraught with a lot of secrets, attracting newcomers.

Speed skating - what's this?

Speed skating is a kind in which a participant must pass the distance circle faster than others. It requires experience, an excellent sense of balance, the ability to calculate the opponent's speed and correctly assess their capabilities. For the first time, competitions in ice skating were held in the winter of 1763 in England, the gold medal of the champion was deservedly received by Mr. Lamb.

In 1890, the first records appeared, but it took another hundred years to prepare participants of major competitions. Women's world championships appeared in 1936, and European ones - in 1970, then everyone learned about the world sprint championships. And already at the beginning of the 21st century the team pursuit race was declared.

Short track and speed skating - differences

Separate skating and short track, the latter in translation means "short track". Short track is a speed skating on speed, compete in large stadiums. It has recently become Olympic, the leadership at the moment is reserved for Asian countries. What is the difference between a short track and speed skating?

Different sizes of sites. For the short track track for 111 meters, the sides are protected by a fence.
The length of the circle. In the short track, it is smaller.
Skates for the short track have a different sharpening system, they are very sharp, and the skids are curved to fit easily into the turn.
Skaters are on their way, and the shortcuts do not divide into tracks.

The rules of speed skating

Modern speed skating is represented by individual and team competitions. Features of individual competitions:

skaters compete in pairs;
the race runs along two paths;
All races are held once, only a distance of half a kilometer - two times.

Rules of the team race:

teams compete in "troika";
periodically leading races are changing;
The match is considered complete when the finish line is crossed by the last member of the group;
If the competitor has fallen near the finish line, the time to complete the race;
It is fixed when the final line was crossed by his skates.

And in personal and in team competitions it is forbidden:

do a second false start in pairs;
cut the lines that separate the tracks;
prevent the opponent during the exchange of tracks.

Speed skating - the pros and cons

According to doctors, speed skating and health are very closely related, especially it is useful for the physiological development of children. Positive moments:

Improves lung and vascular function.
Strengthens immunity , helps prevent colds.
Develops endurance .
Improves the coordination of movements and the ability to navigate in space.

Negative moments are much less:

Getting serious injuries: sprain , sprains and fractures.
Girls are deformed legs due to overly inflated muscles.

Speed skating is good

Ice skating has always been particularly appreciated for developing a great sense of balance in athletes. The positive effect of speed skating on coordination is noted by doctors and coaches. He also gives other, equally useful bonuses:

trains flexibility and dexterity;
develops the muscles of the lower part of the body;
improves the body's resistance to infections;
gives a wonderful mood, thanks to the development of endorphins, which are called hormones of happiness ;
relieves of cellulite, the hour of skating burns up to 500 calories.

Speed skating - contraindications

According to statistics, the phrase "skating sport - trauma" is the most characteristic. High speed of movement, collisions with rivals, gliding on ice become the main causes of fractures and dislocations in athletes. Given these features, doctors formulated a number of contraindications, in which speed skating is not recommended:

joint diseases;
weak immunity;
deformation of bones;
diseases of the nervous and vascular system.

Outfit for speed skating

An important aspect is a good outfit, the main component of which are skates. Experts say that a lot depends on the correctly chosen model, so special skates were developed for racing on ice, professional shoes are ordered separately, for footprints. To create the best racing suit, aerodynamic studies of various fabrics were carried out and many world-renowned manufacturers continue to work on improving their models. From the available arsenal, athletes recommend choosing this outfit:

Skates . The best skates for skating are clapping, in which the blade is fixed by a spring hinge to push harder and develop a greater speed.
Overalls . The costume for speed skating is adjusted according to the figure, so that it fits tightly the athlete, but does not restrain the movements. Inserts that prevent clinging are prohibited.
Glasses for speed skating . Several pairs are selected, the color of the lenses depends on the weather: the gilded ones in the sun, the pink ones on cloudy weather. There must certainly be a mirror coating that protects the eyes. The best frame is made of thermo-polyurethane, the sealant is provided with a three-layer seal: hard, soft and thin with a microfleece.