The Dutch were some of the early pioneers and as far back as the 13th century maintained communication by skating from village to village along frozen rivers and canals. Skating spread across the channel to England and soon the first clubs and artificial rinks had begun springing up across the country. Before long the sport had spread right across Europe and had reached North America . Several kings of England, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon I, the great German poet Goethe and Napoleon III all loved to take to the ice.

The Olympic Winter Games present three disciplines of skating: Figure Skating, including singles for Men and Ladies, pairs (a man and a lady) and ice dancing, Speed Skating, and Short Track Speed Skating for Men and Ladies.

Figure Skating
Like many winter sports, figure skating's roots grew from necessity. As a mode of transportation for warfare and hunting in Northern Europe, skating was a swift way to cross frozen lakes, ponds, rivers and streams. Warriors and hunters crafted makeshift skates of reindeer antlers or elk bones, and later iron and steel. By the 16th century, skaters were transporting goods across frozen waterways.

In 1892, the International Skating Union (ISU) was founded. Six years later, the first ISU-sanctioned event was held, and organisers hoped it might soon become an official Olympic sport. Because competitions could be held indoors, figure skating was added to the Olympic programme for the 1908 Summer Games. Figure skating became an official Olympic Winter Games sport at the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix.

Competition
There are four Olympic Figure Skating events: ladies singles, men's singles, pairs, and ice dancing.

The singles event consists of two sections: the short programme, and free skating. The short programme combines eight prescribed elements such as jump combinations and spins. In the free skating programme, skaters, perform an original arrangement of techniques to music of their choice. As judges deduct points for a programme that consists of too many or too few jumps, a balanced programme is important.

The pairs event also consists of a short programme and free skating. The couple works as one unit, demonstrating overhead lifts, throw-jumps with the man launching his partner, and other manoeuvres. The performance requires harmony, strength and grace.

Ice dancing is similar to ballroom dancing. The focus is on the complex steps in time with the music. The skaters maintain contact with each other, limiting lifts and jumps.

The ice dancing event consists of three sections: compulsory, original, and free dances. In compulsory dancing, the couple performs one pre-determined dances. Original dance must follow selected rhythms, though the pair can choose their own music and interpretative steps. In free dancing the pair freely express their interpretation of the music they have chosen.

Short Track Speedskating
Short track speed skating races began to occur in Europe shortly after speed skating became an established international sport. The International Skating Union was founded in 1892, three years after the first long-track World Championships.

Prior to the arrival of short track at the Olympics, it was common for skaters to compete in short and long-track events. Short track ovals were covered and offered a place for skaters to train all year. Many long-track racers would practice sprinting and turning techniques around the small oval. Some even competed in short track competitions. With the development of new indoor long-track facilities, the cross-sport training is not as popular anymore. Also, now that short track has become established as an Olympic sport, racers have been forced to specialise to succeed.

Short track speed skating was first included in the official programme at the XVI Olympic Winter Games in Albertville in 1992.

Competition
At the Olympic Games, Short Track Speed Skating consists of eight events. Men and women compete in 500m, 1000m, and 1500m. There is a 5000m relay for men, and a 3000m relay for women.

Skaters compete not against the clock, but against each other. Four skaters compete in a race with those placed first and second advancing to the next round. Winning depends to a considerable extent on a racer's strategic skill over an opponent.

Short track speed skating is an elimination event in which athletes race in packs and try to outskate and outwit fellow competitors within their heats. Eventually, the field is narrowed to a handful of finalists. The first one to cross the finish line is the winner. Time is secondary. In fact, Olympic and world records have been set in non-medal heats.

Individual competitions begin with 32 athletes. Individual heats feature four skaters at a time in a mass start. Athletes skate counter-clockwise, and the first two across the finish line advance to the next round. Sometimes more than two advance, depending on the number of heats and the nature of any disqualifications.

The men's and women's short track relays are two-day competitions consisting of a semi-final and a final. Eight teams are divided into two heats of four. The top two teams in each semi-final advance to the final.

Speedskating
It is believed that skates were developed about 3000 years ago in Scandinavia. In the Netherlands, skating served as a way to travel over the canals in winter and the Dutch are still among the world's most avid skaters.

Although the Netherlands is the birthplace of speed skating, the first known skating competition is thought to have been held in 1676. Competitions sprung up across the northern part of Europe shortly after, but the first official speed skating events were not held until 1863 in Oslo, Norway. In 1889, the Netherlands hosted the first World Championships, bringing together the Dutch, Russians, Americans and English.

Speed Skating has been a part of the Olympic programme since the 1st Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix Mont Blanc in 1924. Originally only men participated, but women's events were included in the 1960 Squaw Valley Games.

Competition
Speed skating at the Olympic Games consists of ten events: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and 5000m for both woman and men, 3000m for women, and 10,000m for men.

All events are skated once, with the exception of the men's and women's 500 metres, which are skated twice.

The final result is based on the total time of the two races.
In each event, skaters race in pairs against the clock on a standard 400m oval. Athletes are timed to a hundredth of a second as they skate counter-clockwise around the oval.