Events
In speed skating -- one of six sports to have been a part of every Olympic Winter Games -- athletes race over artificial ice at speeds up to 60 km/hr (37mph). Athletes often skate in a hunched position to reduce air resistance.

Two athletes skate in each race, but they are competing against the clock and not each other. Each competitor is assigned his or her own lane and must skate counter-clockwise around the rink, changing lanes at the crossover point in each lap.

The skater with the fastest time of all competitors wins the event. In the 500m, the athlete with the fastest total time from both races wins.

Twelve events are being competed at the 2010 Vancouver Games. With noted exceptions, all events are contested by both men and women:

The team pursuit made its Olympic debut at the 2006 Torino Games. Competed like the team pursuit event in cycling, speed skating's pursuit is made up of three skaters on each squad who race against one other team in a single lane. The two teams start at the same time at each side of the track. Each team is timed from the start until the third skater crosses the finish line.