Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

[Track fan]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

I have seen top NHL skaters like Dennis Savard and Pavel Bure and I am certain they could run sub 11.00 hundreds but I still can't see the turnover of a Ben Johnson....

[Pego]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

<On modern surfaces where the top sprinters are in the 34s in the 500 it takes an extremely advanced skater to be effective through the last turn especially if the skater is in the inside lane.>

I remember when Grishin first went under 40 in the early 60's. I wonder what is the potential there. It seems to me that the speedskating and swimming still have not reached the limits, while sprint running appears to be getting there.

[Powell]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

There's a lot more technical progress going on in both speedskating and swimming than in T&F. The introduction of klap skates by itself led to an improvement of 3-4% within a short time. A few years later the building of the first indoor speedskating arenas had just as dramatic an effect. I don't think there's ever been as dramatic a revolution in T&F. Even synthetic tracks did not improve the times by anywhere nearly as big a margin.
In swimming, a lot of the progress has come from things like scientific studies of hydrodynamics. Because the water resistance is so much higher than air resistance, once again you can make a big difference by slight chances in body movements, new swimsuits etc. Again, there's no equivalent in T&F. Our sport is just so simple it's hard to find something important that people haven't thought of a long time ago.

[slowcoach]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

Sprinting is primarily about the quads and glutes. The hammies are about the recovery phase, that's why they are so much weaker, and tend to pull.

Check out your favourites' asses!! (from the side)

[az2004]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

heiden won all 5 golds in the individual events in lake placid....

is that comparable to the 1,2,4,8 and 1500 on the track...??

what other olympic achievement would compare to such versatility over distances??

[nbonaddio]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

>heiden won all 5 golds in the individual events in lake placid....

is that
>comparable to the 1,2,4,8 and 1500 on the track...??

what other olympic
>achievement would compare to such versatility over distances??


Having a background in inline speedskating before competing in athletics, I have to say that Heiden's achievement is essentially uncomparable to any achievement on the track that comes to mind. In your terms, I'd stretch the range of accomplishment in track terms to 200, 400, 800, 1500 and 3000. It is such an accomplishment, I'm tempted to also include the 400 hurdles, the hammer, the pole vault and a 50k racewalk.

A lot of people point to Lance Armstrong as the model for the achievement of the human body, but I think he's got nothing on Heiden. If you're building a Frankenstein-esque perfect human, Eric's quads in peak form are as good as you're going to get.

[gh]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

To answer the basic question posed in the subject line, as one who was raised in an all-hockey culture, my take is that there is very little correlation between running ability and skating. As a jumper with some exaggerated quad development, I could easily outskate no end of people who could outrun me. Where somebody with good sprint ability tends to shine on the ice is more in terms of "quick" than "fast."

[az2004]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

Not knowing much about speed skating, is it safe to say there are sprint events in skating and distance events...

I would assume technique is FAR more critical in skating, but a general claasification of skaters into sprinters or distance guys applies.

I'm in philly and recall heiden winning the usa pro bike race in the middle '80s....it was one of those sprint at the end bike races...

[dmob377]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

az2004 wrote:

>>still waiting for the emergence of a great kenyan xc....of the nordic variety :;

I have hoped for years that we would see a Kenyan/Ethiopian/Moroccan/etc break into the world of top professional cycling; given their body types I doubt we would see any of them compete with a top Euro road sprinter, but who could doubt that after enough seat time any of the top guys would be world class climbers?? A guy like Geb would be PERFECT day after day hammering up L'Alpe d'Huez; small and light like Marco Pantani, obvious Max VO2, fantastic ability to recover.... Unfortunately, there is just no real cycling tradition or infrastructure set up in North- or East Africa. Too bad; I think they would really shake things up!!

[Pierre-Jean]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

>guru, not so-- same m. groups... those of the lower extremity (L.E.). We
>published an article on this in the European Journal of Sports Medicine and
>Fitness when Eric H. won those Olympic golds. All sprinters on land or ice use
>same muscles-- those of L.E.

They use same muscles groups, but the 2 sports doesn't require the same emphasis on these muscles. Lower extremities muscles are much more developped compared to upper extremities for a sketter or a cyclist, compared to a track sprinter. There's no sprinter with Shimizu's thighs
http://snapsite.com/guests/sk8ctrl/publ ... uscles.jpg
Only track cyclist have comparable lower extremities. On the other hand, sprinters have bigger hamstrings and calves. not talking about torso soulders and arms.

After Stuttgart'93, Irina Privalova told about her will to compete in Lillehamer Winter Games at skeep skating, but as she didn't qualified, i supposed she failed (i'm not even sure she entered in an official competition). However, she was Moskva champion at age 7 or so.

[Per Andersen]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

It seems there has been talk of Speed Skating and Irina Privalova on several occasions. Her maiden name was Sergeyeva. When I grew up and was a huge Speed Skating fan, the first 500 champion and w-rec holder to come out of the USSR was Yuri Sergeyev.
Any relation to Irina? I suspect I'll never find out. Sergeyev is probably too common a name.

[EPelle]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

Irina Privalova..."Former speed skater..."

http://www2.iaaf.org/wic97/bio/w/2916.html

[EPelle]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

Interesting...

> Formative Processes
Vladmir Paraschuk, Privalova’s coach outlined their approach for her highly successful transition from one of the world’s leading female sprinters to Olympic champion at 400m hurdles in one season. >


> Paraschuk placed great emphasis in Irina’s early sporting history as the foundation of her highly adaptive qualities within track and field athletics. The development of both co-ordination and the ability to read situations were fostered through swimming, handball and speed skating – at which she became national 300m champion for 11 year olds and thus demonstrated the high levels of explosive leg power at her disposal. However, special mentioned was made of the high level of parental support received in her formative years, most notably a specially constructed sports complex including ropes, nets and steps for Irina by her father which honed her co-ordination and stability skills. >

http://www.ukhurdlesclub.net/coaching/c ... valova.htm

[EPelle]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

Ohno!

Looks like the only sprinter last weekend who was faster than LaShawn Merritt, USATF AOW, was speedskater Apolo Ohno, USATODAY.com AOW. Merritt and a list of who's who were listed in the article.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics ... htm?csp=34

[slowcoach]

Re: Why Don:t Track Stars Turn to Speed Skating?

>Ohno!

Looks like the only sprinter last weekend who was faster than LaShawn
>Merritt, USATF AOW, was speedskater Apolo Ohno, USATODAY.com AOW.

I'm pretty sure Ronald Pognon was faster.