how tall are speed skaters

Most elite speed skaters are around average height or slightly taller, but there’s a big range depending on distance and discipline.

Quick Scoop: How tall are speed skaters?

• Long‑track (standard Olympic speed skating):
  • Men cluster roughly around 1.75–1.80 m (about 5'9"–5'11").

* Women are usually around 1.65–1.70 m (about 5'5"–5'7").

• Short‑track:
  • Skaters can be both quite short and quite tall, but overall they’re a bit shorter on average than long‑track athletes.

• Within one national team, you can easily see a spread of 15+ cm (about 6 inches) between the shortest and tallest skater.

In Sochi 2014 data, “Speedskating” athletes averaged about 1.80 m for men and about 1.69 m for women, which is slightly taller than figure skaters and similar to many other power‑endurance winter sports.

Why that height range works

• Power vs. aerodynamics:
  Taller skaters with longer legs can generate big power per push, but extra height can increase air resistance, so extremely tall builds are less common.

• Balance and cornering:
  In short‑track, being a bit shorter with a lower center of mass can help with those insane leaning turns, so you see more variety and not just tall sprinter‑type bodies.

• Event specialization:
  Sprinters often look more muscular and can be slightly more compact, while longer‑distance skaters can be a bit taller and leaner, similar to cyclists.

Mini “forum‑style” angle

If you dropped this question into a winter‑sports forum today, typical replies would look like:

“Most of the guys I’ve seen live were around 5'9–6'0, with huge legs and surprisingly average height otherwise.”

“Women’s speed skaters look kind of ‘normal height’ in person, not tiny like some figure skaters, more like 5'5–5'7.”

You’d also see people comparing disciplines, noticing that speed skaters look taller and more powerful than many figure skaters, but still not as towering as, say, ski jumpers or some bobsledders.

Meta description:
How tall are speed skaters? Learn the typical height ranges for male and female speed skaters, how they compare to other ice sports, and why this body type works so well on the ice.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.