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World Single Distance Championships

Since the late 19th century, speed skating championships were always decided by racing multiple distances. Four different distances for the alround championships, and two different distances, which have to be skated twice, for sprint championships. However, the speed skating events at the Olympic Games were always individual distances, no medals are awarded for a combined event.

Towards the end of the 20th century, skaters started to specialize, it became rare that a skater was able to dominate both the short and the long distances. Perhaps the last skater able to do so was Eric Heiden, who won all five distances at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

As a consequence of the specialization, the difference between the Olympic Games and the regular championships, and the popularity of the World Cup, the

The Netherlands ...... 1897Montreal, Canada ...... 1902Davos, Switzerland, ...... 1996Hamar, Norway 1997Warsaw, Poland 1998Calgary, Canada 1999Heerenveen, The Netherlands 2000Nagano, Japan 2001Salt Lake City, USA 2002No championships held due to Olympic Games 2003Berlin, Germany 2004Seoul, South Korea

Future events

Year	City
2005	Inzell, Germany

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