Speed skating (1) infographic
Graphic shows the Ice Ribbon Speed Skating Oval, with details of how altitude affects ice speed.
GN42015EN

BEIJING 2022

Speed skating at the Winter Olympics

By Phil Bainbridge

February 4, 2022 - February 20, 2022 - The 2022 winter Olympic Games, officially known as the XXIV Olympic Winter Games, take place in Beijing, China.

The Speed skating events will take place at the “Ice Ribbon” National Speed Skating Oval, the only new venue to be built at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Park.

Twenty-three of twenty-six world records in speed skating were set in Salt Lake City or Calgary, both high-altitude venues while Beijing is at sea level. Using carbon dioxide as the refrigerant instead of the toxic Freon freezes faster for a more consistent ice temperature and density, and should allow skaters to reach speeds normally associated with higher altitudes.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 25/01/2022; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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