Ice skating comprises speed skating and figure skating (seeFIGURE SKATING). Modern speed skating competitions are held for distances of 500, 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 m for men and 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 3,000 m for women. The winner of the all-around competition is determined according to the least number of points earned at four distances. The points represent the result in seconds (and tenths of seconds) at 500 m and the results at the other distances divided accordingly by 3, 10, and 20 for men and 2, 3, and 6 for women. The system for calculating points was accepted in 1928.

Skates made of bone have been known to the peoples in northern countries since the 12th century. Wooden skates with iron runners appeared in the 14th and 15th centuries, and metal ones, in the late 17th century and early 18th (they originated in the Netherlands and England). Sporting skates for speed and figure skating appeared in the late 19th century; speed skates were designed in the 1880’s by the Norwegian skaters K. Werner and A. Paulsen.

The first skating associations were established in Norway (1864) and Russia (1877), and the first national skating federation was established in Great Britain in 1879. The first major international skating competition was held in Vienna in 1882. International speed skating competitions have been organized in Russia since 1890. The first official Russian championship took place in Moscow in 1889; the winner was A. N. Panshin, who that same year won at two distances at the first unofficial world championship. The Internationale Eislauf-Vereinigung (IEV; International Skating Union) was founded in 1892. World and European championships for men have been held since 1893 (in St. Petersburg in 1896 and 1903). Russian speed skating competitions have included women (500 m) since 1911. All the distances of the classical all-around competition—500, 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 m’have been included in the Russian championships for men since 1914. Among the world record holders and winners at major international speed skating competitions in the early 20th century were the Russian skaters E. Burnov, V. A. Ippolitov (European champion in 1913), la. F. Mel’nikov, N. S. Naidenov, N. I. Sedov, and N. V. Strunnikov (Russian champion in 1908-10, world and European champion in 1910-11). From 1918 to 1923 the speed skating championship of the RSFSR for men was held. The first championship of the USSR was held in 1924, and the first championship of the USSR for women, in 1928 (it has been held yearly since 1933, and since 1956 has included distances of 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 3,000 m).

Since 1924 speed skating has been one of the events in the Winter Olympics (from 1924 to 1956 the event included only men; women began competing in 1960). The championship is awarded only for the individual distances. A world champion-ship for women has been held since 1936, and a European championship for women, since 1970. The first IEV all-around sprinter championship for men and women was held in 1970 (since 1972, a world championship with distances of 500 and 1,000 m). In 1971 the IEV united the national federations of more than 30 countries (the Skating Federation of the USSR has been a member of the IEV since 1947). The IEV includes technical committees on speed skating, figure skating, and ice dancing.

Soviet skaters have participated in the world and European championships since 1948, and in the Winter Olympics, since 1956. World champions have included O. G. Goncharenko (1953, 1956, 1958), B. A. Shilkov (1954), B. A. Stenin (1960), V. I. Kosichkin (1962), V. A. Muratov (all-around sprinter competition), M. G. Isakova (1948-50), L. M. Selikhova (1952, 1954), Kh. Kh. Shchegoleeva (1953), R. M. Zhukova (1955), S. I. Kondakova (1956), I. G. Artamonova (1957-58, 1962, 1965), T. N. Rylova (1959), V. S. Stenina (1960-61, 1966), L. P. Skoblikova (1963-64), L. Kh. Kauniste (1969), and N. A. Statkevich (1971).

The following have been Olympic champions: E. R. Grishin (1956, 1960, 500 and 1,500 m; four gold medals), Iu. M. Mikhailov (1956, 1,500 m), A. A. Antson (1964, 1,500 m), B. A. Shilkov (1956, 5,000 m), V. I. Kosichkin (1960, 5,000 m), L. P. Skoblikova (1960, 1,500 and 3,000 m; 1964, four distances, six gold medals), L. E. Titova (1968, 500 m), and K. I. Nesterova (1960, 1,000 m). At the Winter Olympic Games between 1956 and 1972, Soviet skaters have won 36 medals, including 16 gold, 11 silver, and nine bronze. In unofficial team standings they were first between 1956 and 1964 and fourth in 1968.

European champions have included Shilkov (1954), Grishin (1956), Goncharenko (1957-58), Kosichkin (1961), R. V. Merkulov (1962), Antson (1964), E. A. Matusevich (1965), and Statkevich (1970-71).

In 1972 there were approximately 400,000 skaters in the Soviet Union, of which 70,000 had sports ratings and 460 held the rank of Master of Sport. There were more than 30 sports schools specializing in skating for children and youths.

Outside the USSR skating has been most developed in the Netherlands and the Scandinavian countries. Among those who have had outstanding successes in international competitions and world championships in speed skating have been J. Eden (1893-96, Netherlands), O. Mathisen (1908-14, Norway), K. Thunberg (1923-31, Finland), I. Ballangrud (1928-38, Norway), H. Andersen (1950-52, Norway), K. Verkerk (1966-67, Netherlands), and A. Schenk (1970-72, Netherlands).

In the 1960’s, artificially frozen skating rinks were built in a number of countries. This enabled skaters to train in above-zero temperatures in the spring and fall. All of the world speed skating records have been broken and are constantly being improved; from 1928 through 1958 the world record in the men’s all-around competition was improved by 9 points and from 1963 through 1971, by 16. In 1973 there were a total of 48 artificially frozen rinks in various countries: in Austria (two), Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, the Netherlands (nine), Norway, the USSR (three; in Kolomna, Sverdlovsk, and Medeo; one is being built in Kiev), the USA, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Sweden (nine), and Japan (eighteen).