Mika

Mika Poutala of Finland in today's Day 3 Division A Men's 500m #2 in the Essent ISU World Cup of Speed Skating #2. 

The reason for the #2 after the 500m:  The 500m is the only distance to be raced twice in long track speed skating championships because of the heavy advantage of starting in the inside lane.  Skaters change lanes during a race and by starting on the inside during a 500m, you will end up on the outside lane for the final turn and straight.  This is significant because skaters are going so fast around the 400m oval that they are being pushed by 60 kilograms of gravitational force on the inside lane versus 52 kilograms on the outside lane.  As a result, despite that seemingly physics-defying lean of speed skaters, it is more difficult to negotiate high speeds on the inner lane than on the outer lane, especially during a sprint like the 500m where the slightest advantage can result in huge time discrepancies (and frequent falls).  Thus, a 500m is raced twice, with skaters switching starting lanes.

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