Speed skating is a thrilling winter sport with roots in the early days when people used ice skates to travel quickly across frozen lakes and rivers.
In modern speed skating, athletes race against the clock in a time trial format, with no heats, semi-finals, or finals. Instead, each competitor takes a single run and aims to set the fastest time. Two athletes race side by side, but the real race isn't about who finishes first — it's all about the time. The athlete with the fastest time will be crowned the winner.
Get ready for some heart-pounding action, as speed skating will be one of the 11 exciting disciplines featured at the upcoming 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, northeast China.