Speed Skating
Once a rapid form of transportation, speed skating has developed into a high-speed sport decorated with Canadian success. Speed skating has featured on every Winter Olympics program since the first in 1924, not including women’s competition until 1960. Canada has won an impressive 70 Olympic medals in short and long track speed skating, ranking first and second as Canada’s most successful winter sports.
Speed skating has been on every Canada Winter Games program since 1967. Short track joined the program in 1983 and has featured ever since. Long track speed skating did not take place in two Games, but men’s and women’s competitions have always occurred in both disciplines.
Notable alumni include Olympic champions Clara Hughes, Mathieu Giroux, Kristina Groves, Charles Hamelin, Cindy Klassen and Catriona Le May Doan, demonstrating the important part that the Canada Games play on the road to Olympic success.
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Constructed in advance of the 2011 Halifax Canada Winter Games, the Halifax Oval is the largest outdoor artificially refrigerated ice surface in the Maritimes. Located within one of Halifax’s urban parks and only steps away from Halifax’s bustling downtown area, the outdoor venue will provide a special Canada Games experience for all participants.
A legacy project for the 2023 Canada Winter Games, this state-of-the-art facility will feature an Olympic sized ice surface, a walking track, and a fitness centre. It will host both figure skating and short track speed skating events. The new venue will play a big part in delivering life-shaping Games experiences for athletes and all participants while creating a sporting legacy for the entire province.
