# Q: Olympic Speed Skating

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-olympic-speed-skating/346011>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 25, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-olympic-speed-skating/346011 "2006-02-25T02:07:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-olympic-speed-skating/346011/1 "2006-02-25T02:07:17Z")

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When you watch the speed skating races, one guy has the inner track, and the other holds the outer track. Isn’t the outer guy always at a disadvantage?

- Jinx 😕

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**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-olympic-speed-skating/346011/2 "2006-02-25T02:09:13Z")

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They switch lanes on the back straight.

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-olympic-speed-skating/346011/3 "2006-02-25T02:18:05Z")

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> [@Gorsnak](#):
>
> They switch lanes on the back straight.

Ah-ha! But, wouldn’t I see them switch back again in the front straight? That way, they would alternately share the disadvantage, right? One would be outside on the right-hand side, let’s say, and the other would be outside on the left-hand side of the course, correct? (From TV, you can’t get the correct perspective).

I WAG that’s what you mean…

- Jinx

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-olympic-speed-skating/346011/4 "2006-02-25T02:19:36Z")

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> [@Jinx](#):
>
> Ah-ha! But, wouldn’t I see them switch back again in the front straight? That way, they would alternately share the disadvantage, right? One would be outside on the right-hand side, let’s say, and the other would be outside on the left-hand side of the course, correct? (From TV, you can’t get the correct perspective).
> 
> I WAG that’s what you mean…
> 
> - Jinx

Oh, dang!!! I see what you mean! They alternate laps! :smack:

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**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\
**Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/q-olympic-speed-skating/346011/5 "2006-02-25T07:55:19Z")

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Yes, they alternate laps. Also, the starting positions are staggered, at least on the short races, to make up for the difference in distance 'round the curves, just like on foot track races. (I think they’re always staggered in oval-track speed skating, but not by much for the longest distances.)

In short-track speed skating, of course, there are no lanes, meaning the guy with the sharpest elbows gets an advantage 😉