the.com/speedskating
strapping knives to your feet to outrun physics in a counterclockwise blur of pain
means A racing sport in which competitors glide on ice using long-bladed skates, pushing for maximum speed around an oval track or in tight-packed packs.
from A plain compound of "speed" and "skating." "Speed" comes from Old English "spēd," which originally meant success, prosperity, or quickness — hence the old blessing "Godspeed" (may God grant you success), only later narrowing to mere velocity. "Skate" arrived in English in the 17th century from Dutch "schaats," itself borrowed from Old French "escache" (a stilt or wooden leg), tracing back to Latin roots for something jointed or propped up. The Dutch, masters of frozen canals, gave the world both the word and the pastime; the racing version simply bolted "speed" onto the front.
- top speed
- sprinters exceed 60 km/h on flat ice
- clap skate
- hinged blade revolutionized the sport in 1996
- the lean
- crossing legs around curves defies gravity itself
- thigh tax
- that crouch builds legs like tree trunks
- photo finish
- races decided by thousandths of a second
apolo ohno — american short track speedskater with 8 olympic medals, dominant 2002-2010
erin jackson — first black speedskater to win olympic gold, 500m long track 2022