For those of you who are new to the Winter Olympics speed skating is a sport that began on the Dutch canals and used iron skates on wooden soles. It was used primarily used as a means of transportation. It is the single fastest sport in the world that is entirely human powered and has no mechanical properties. Many of the professionals who don’t live in areas cold enough for skating, including Shani Davis, start out rollerblading as a child. Speed skating takes place on a 400m rink similar to an athletics track. Athletes take part in pairs, racing each other but also trying to get the fastest time out of all the competitors.

Having the best acceleration and having a fast start is essential as it gives the athlete a huge advantage over the rest of the course because due to the lack of friction between the skates and the ice it is far easier to maintain high speed than build it up from scratch. It is an endurance event more than a sprint, so athletes are better at some different distamnce races than others, much like track events at the regular Olympics.

Speed Skating is not dissimilar in viewing to the cycling events Britain did so well in so those who are new to the Winter Olympics and are looking for some regularity should definitely give speed skating a watch.

Team-mate and double silver medallist Julia Mancuso has odds of 3/1 with William Hill to get a podium finish and make it three from three. Germany’s best chance of gaining on the America at the top of the medals table is Maria Riesch who has odds of 6/1 to win with bet365.

There is much hype back home about 25 year old Lindsey Vonn; the American media has already dubbed the Olympics the ‘Winter Olympics at Vonncouver’. She has been skiing from an early age; learning at the age of 3 and beginning to race at the age of 7. At 14 years old she became the first American female ever to ever win Italy’s Trofeo Topolino contest and she describes this as her proudest ever sporting achievement.

“When I won the Trofeo Topolino race at the age of 14. Back then everyone put so much hype on that race – it was like the mini-Olympics. To watch that with my grandpa and dad there was incredible.”

She is being described as the best Overall Alpine Skier for her gender in the world and has been on top of the World Cup rankings in every section of Alpine Skiing for the past two years. One thing is for certain; any event that involves Lindsey Vonn is definitely worth watching.