We dive into the high-stakes history of the "illegal" gear and design breakthroughs that shaped a century of winter sports.

Speed skating, where 0.01 seconds determine victory, leaves athletes hypersensitive to every factor. Ice quality, in particular, is a variable directly tied to records, so athletes and coaching staff remain acutely alert to even minor changes.

MILAN, Metropolitan City of Milan — Speed skating — one of the fastest and most technical sports of the Winter Olympics — will return to the spotlight at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games with a full slate of long track, short track and mass start events.

For now, the Grade 7 student at Northeastern Elementary Public School is still taking this all in, balancing his twice-a-week speed skating practice sessions at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex with his commitment to his Nickel Centre Blast house league squad.