COLORADO SPRINGS — Every four years, the Winter Olympics reminds us of the world's most notable sports. Speed skating stands out as a race on ice that combines heart-racing excitement, fun, adrenaline and pure speed.
On Saturday, athletes will compete in the 3000-meter speed skating race. In the Olympics, speed skating has two disciplines: short track and long track. Long track covers more distance and skaters race against the clock. Short track features races of either 500, 1000 or 1500 meters where athletes compete directly against opponents.
"So think of it as NASCAR on ice,” Jerebelle Yutangco said.
To learn more about the sport, News5 visited a Colorado Springs skating club to discover why some call speed skating "NASCAR on ice."
"Short track speed skating is what we specialize here at Colorado Gold," said head coach Jerebelle Yutangco.
Colorado Gold Speed Skating is a non-profit organization in Olympic City USA looking to expand the sport. The club welcomes skaters of all levels in what Yutangco describes as a team, family-oriented environment.
"If you don't like hockey, if you don't like figure skating or if you just like skating fast, this is a really great sport to come out and try," Yutangco said.
Every week, they train on an Olympic-sized rink at the World Arena Ice Hall in Colorado Springs.
"We usually have about 5 to 6 skaters on the line, think of it more like a chess match. You're in a pace line strategically trying to figure out when I should make the right pass? When should I speed up? All in favor of trying to win that race," Yutangco said.
In a sport so often decided by milliseconds, speed plays a huge role. Olympic skaters can typically reach speeds over 30 miles per hour.
But becoming a good skater starts slowly, with proper technique being essential.
"The big thing is to balance and make sure that all of your weight is pushed to that hip that you're balancing," assistant coach Kelli Boyd said.
Whether you're new to speed skating or a seasoned pro, coach Boyd and Yutangco encourage people to give it a try.
"Hopefully we see a lot more interest, especially as this Olympic year grows. We definitely want to see more skaters, all ages, all abilities come out and try us," Yutangco said.
To learn more about speed skating in Colorado Springs visit Colorado Gold Speed Skating website.
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