Speed skating (also
long track speed skating) is an Olympic sport where competitors are timed while crossing a set distance. It is also a sport for leisure. Sports such as
short track speedskating,
inline speedskating, and
quad speed skating are also called speed skating. Long track speed skating enjoys large popularity in the
Netherlands and has also had champion athletes from
Austria,
Canada,
China,
Finland,
Germany,
Japan,
Italy,
Norway,
Poland,
South Korea,
Russia,
Sweden, the
Czech Republic and the
United States. Speed skaters attain maximum speeds of .