THE NEED FOR SPEED
SPEED DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL IMPACT THE START OF A 500M RACE
(Both in Long Track & Short Track)
“THE STARTING LINE”
In the sport of Speed Skating (both in Long Track and Short Track), a 500-meter race requires great reaction time with a 100-meter track sprinter’s mindset. My background with speed development (youth, collegiate and professional athletes) allowed me to add some value to the short distance specific Chinese National Long Track skaters as well as their Short Track skaters. A Speed & Agility Development mentorship with XPE Sports founder Tony Villani made a big difference. Tony is one of the best Sports Performance Coaches in America and highly sought after by those college football players who prepare for the NFL Combine each winter in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I am fortunate to have a professional relationship of nearly 15 years with him. One of the basic, yet critical pieces learned that could be applied to speed skaters was simply “knee up, heel up, toe up” (also referred to as toe-loaded). This article will focus upon speed training practices that will make a difference in the beginning stages of a 500-meter race in both long and short track competitions.
