Apolo Anton Ohno
Short-track speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno is the most decorated winter Olympian in U.S. history, winning eight medals over three Olympic Winter Games.
Speed skating is a high-speed ice sport in which athletes race around an oval track on specialized skates while maintaining a low posture to maximize speed. Athletes can reach speeds of more than 37 mph, making it one of the fastest non-assisted sports requiring exceptional endurance, strength, and coordination.
Speed skating originated in the Netherlands as early as the 13th century, when frozen canals were natural racecourses for skaters traveling between towns. Over time, these informal races evolved into organized competitions, laying the foundation for the modern sport.
Speed skating made its debut at the 1924 Winter Olympics as a men’s-only event, making it one of six sports that have appeared at every Winter Olympic Games. Women’s speed skating was added to the Olympic program at the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Games.
Olympic speed skating includes two disciplines:
To gain as much ground as possible with each stride, speed skaters race in a deep crouch, with their stomachs and thighs nearly touching. Skin-tight racing suits and specialized blades help reduce air resistance and maximize speed and efficiency on the ice.
Team USA has maintained a strong presence in Olympic speed skating, producing some of the most successful athletes in both long-track and short-track competition. Several speed skaters are honored in the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame, including Eric Heiden, Bonnie Blair, and Apolo Ohno, whose Olympic achievements helped define the sport in the United States.
One of the greatest feats in Winter Olympic history was achieved by Olympic speed skater Eric Heiden at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Games, where he won gold medals in all five long-track speed skating events.
Short-track speed skater Apolo Ohno is the most decorated Winter Olympic medalist in U.S. history with eight medals over three Olympic Winter Games. Bonnie Blair is currently the most decorated female U.S. Winter Olympic speed skater with six medals.
Speed skating is not an event at the Winter Paralympic Games. While Ice Sledge Speed Skating was a medal event from 1980 to 1988 and from 1994 to 1998, it is no longer included in the Winter Paralympics.
Current sports in the Winter Paralympic Games include para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para ice hockey, para snowboarding, and wheelchair curling.
Honor the legacy and determination of U.S. speed skaters with a visit to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum. Explore the Winter Games exhibit, highlighting the achievements, innovations, and Olympic milestones that shaped the history of American speed skating.
Short-track speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno is the most decorated winter Olympian in U.S. history, winning eight medals over three Olympic Winter Games.
Speedskater Bonnie Blair was well known for her throng of family and friends and she gave them plenty to cheer about, winning five gold medals and one bronze over four Olympic Winter Games.
After an ankle injury ended her speedskating career, Connie Carpenter-Phinney took up cycling and won a gold medal in the Olympic women’s cycling debut event at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games.
After failing to win a medal in his first three Olympics, speed skater Dan Jansen set a world record and won gold in his final Olympic race, the 1,000 meters in the Lillehammer 1994 Olympic Winter Games.
Eric Heiden won an unprecedented gold medals in all five distances at the Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games, from the 500-meter sprint to the grueling 10,000-meter race.
Speed skater Jack Shea in 1932 became the first American to win multiple gold medals in a single Olympic Winter Games. He was killed by a drunk driver weeks before his grandson won Olympic gold.
