First world championship: 1889Amsterdam

First Olympic appearance: 1924 Chamonix

Women’s speed skating introduced to the Olympics: 1960 Squaw Valley

“All-Around” champion: This title is still contested at the world championships but was eliminated from the Olympics after the 1924 Games in Chamonix

Roots: Speed skating is traced to England in the mid-1700s, yet the Netherlands is considered the origin

Invention that changed the sport: The clapskate was a technological breakthrough for the 1998 Games in Nagano. The blade of the skate detaches from the heel, allowing it to stay on the ice longer

Keeping sharp: Olympic skaters often sharpen their blades after every race

Thickness of a skate blade: Approx 1.25 millimetres

Muscle power: Speed skating is the fastest human powered, non-mechanically aided sport in the world

Aerodynamic suits: Besides looking tough, the Lycra hooded suits are to increase aerodynamics. Aerodynamic strips are also placed on the skater’s legs and hood

Slowest performance: At the 1928 Olympics, American Richard (Budd) Solem skated the 10,000-metre race in 26:24.04. He was more than eight minutes behind the first place finisher because the ice had turned to slush.

International crossover: Speed skater-turned-cyclist Christa Luding of the former East Germany became the first person to medal in both the Summer and Winter Olympics

Canadian crossover: Cyclist-turned-speed skater Clara Hughes of Winnipeg was the first Canadian to medal in both Summer and Winter Games

Canada’s first sport association: The Amateur Skating Association of Canada was formed in 1887

Canada's first Olympic speed skating medals: Won by Frank Stack, Alexander Hurd and William Logan at Lake Placid in 1932

Canada’s first recorded speed skate competition: On the St. Lawrence River, 1854