Speed Skating attire

Even though the figure skating costumes are more beautiful, the team uniform controversy this time is over what the American Speed Skaters wore for the the qualifying heats.  Apparently their suits were too aerodynamic and they've been forced to wear their older suits for the rest of the Olympic AND they have not been doing so well!

So, I thought it would be interesting to see how speed skating clothing has changed in the last 100 years.

So, here is a line up of speed skaters ready to go at the 1924 Winter Olympics, the first full Winter Olympics.

And here is the American team!! Again, the Americans have a sleeker uniform so it isn't surprising to find out the first gold medal in Speed Skating was given to an American (little photo in the upper left), Charles Jewtraw.

A Norwegian, Bernt Evensen, won the next time in 1928. He is wearing more sensible clothing.

By 1936, the speed skaters are starting to look like they do today, just no sleek and shinny spandex. This is Ivar Ballangrud at the 1936 Winter Olympics.

Women weren't allowed to compete at the Olympics until 1960, but there were still women speed skaters. Here is Norwegian, Laila Schou Nilsen, pioneer of women's speed skating in the 1930's. Her outfit looks like it would slow her down with those puffy wool trousers.

This is what the first woman Olympic gold medalist, Helga Haase, wore in 1960.

They must have thought hats like this would make you go faster.  All the skaters I'm finding from the 60's are wearing them.  This is gold medalist, Lyudmila Titova in 1968.

So, when did spandex work it's way into the uniforms ... I'm looking ...

1970 ... the hats are flattening out as we can see on gold medalist, Erhard Keller, but I'm not sure about the fabric in his clothing.  Could be some lycra, but not the super tight fitting things skaters wear now a days.

OK, here's a name I recognize, Eric Heiden.  It really looks like he is wearing spandex in 1977 and most definitely at the Olympics in 1980.  Since then, the uniform hasn't changed so much.

This is Chad Hedrick in 2008, I see a Nike swoosh, but this outfit isn't too decorated. I thought the speed skating suits were getting more and more colorful over time, but they're not really.  It seems some years they are dark and some times colorful ... no pattern I can detect.

Below is the outlawed uniform by UnderArmor, very dark and scary looking.

This garment is SO high tech!! If you want to know all the features, and there are many, go to this article ... Top Secret Speedskating Uniform.