Speed Skating Injuries: Cuts, Crashes, Back Pain and Concussion

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Two laps to go in a short track final. Five skaters lean into the corner, hands brushing the ice, blades inches apart. Someone’s skate slips out, and in a blink three of them are sliding into the pads. But speed skating combines speed, a deep crouch and razor-thin blades, and that mix brings its own set of injuries. This page covers them, from club kids to Olympians, long track and short track: what the research shows, what the rules require you to wear, and when to get checked.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you’re hurt, see a sports medicine doctor, physical therapist (PT) or certified athletic trainer (AT). For an overview of the sport, start at our speed skating hub.

What the research says, in one paragraph

Not much. A 2024 scoping review of competitive ice speed skating found only 32 studies, few of them high quality. Across those studies, between 2% and 18% of skaters were injured during a competition, and up to 84% reported back pain over a season. In a one-season study of 84 elite Dutch youth long track skaters (ages 15–21), about 30% had a health problem in any given week. For the acute injuries, the head, shoulder and low back caused the most lost training; for overuse problems, the knee, the mid-back, the lower leg and the low back. A German study of 69 national-team short track skaters (2009–2020) recorded 371 injuries needing medical attention; about 70% were in the legs, mainly the knee and ankle, and more happened in on-ice training (45%) and off-ice training (30%) than in races (25%).

Blade cuts: the injury the equipment rules are built around

Speed skating blades are long and sharp, and in a pack a fall can send one skater’s blade into another skater’s body. The International Skating Union (ISU) states it plainly in its equipment rules: short track races, long track mass start races and team events carry a risk of cuts, concussions and puncture wounds, mostly from skates in a collision or fall. An ISU study identified the risk areas: the neck, groin, armpits, buttocks, lower arms, hands, back, the front of the knees and the ankles. Some of these are marked as zones where a cut could reach a major artery or vein, which can be life-threatening. In a survey of 95 elite short track skaters (1999–2000 season), the most common earlier on-ice injuries were cuts from the knee down (11.1%) and ankle fractures (10.2%).

That’s why the rules require cut-resistant clothing. Under ISU Communication No. 2636 (May 2024):

• Suits: fabrics are rated on the cut and abrasion scale of the European glove standard EN 388. At the Olympics and ISU events, a full-body suit (or cut-resistant underwear) at level 3 is mandatory; at other international senior and junior A/B races, level 2 is the minimum and level 3 is highly recommended; for younger juniors and masters, level 2 protection of the high-risk areas is highly recommended.
• Neck: the suit must cover the neck to below the chin. A neck guard, if worn, goes under the suit so a blade can’t slide under it.
• Gloves: cut-resistant gloves or mitts at EN 388 level 3 at least (levels 4 and 5 recommended).
• Ankles: cut-resistant ankle protection or socks.
• Blades: closed tubes and blade ends rounded to a radius of at least 10 mm, so the tips are less like spikes.

In the United States, US Speedskating’s 2026–27 short track regulations require all member skaters to wear full-body cut-resistant protection, plus a helmet that meets the ASTM standard for short track, level 3 cut-resistant gloves, eye protection, shin guards, padded knee protection and a cut-resistant neck guard that fully covers the neck. Required suit levels run from level 3 at selection races to level 2 at Age Group Nationals, with level 2 highly recommended for club races. Long track time trials, where skaters race in pairs in separate lanes, mainly require long sleeves and long pants, but mass start and team races follow the ISU’s cut-protection rules (leather gloves count as cut resistant at Age Group Nationals).

How good is the evidence that this gear works? Honestly: the gear is tested in the lab against fixed cut standards, but no study has yet measured how many injuries it prevents on the ice. The 2024 scoping review found no study at all that tested the effectiveness of any prevention measure in speed skating. The ISU itself says its safety program “cannot absolutely assure full protection”. A suit only protects if it’s the right level, fits, and is zipped all the way up. Check the label and certificate of anything you buy against your competition’s level.

Crashes into the pads (short track)

Short track skaters race in packs at speeds that can top 50 km/h (about 31 mph), so falls are part of the sport. A video study of every fall at 16 international short track competitions from 2021 to 2023 counted 1,505 falls in 18,631 race starts, about 94 per competition. Men fell in 8.6% of races and women in 7.1%. About 61% of falls involved more than one skater; contact between skaters was the main cause. In the Canadian team, 7.1% of crashes led to an injury, mostly strains of the spine area and bruises to the lower legs.

Rinks line the boards with thick protective pads, and the helmet, knee pads and shin guards take much of the rest. If you crash: stay down for a moment, check for cuts (look at your suit for slashes and for blood), and don’t get up fast if your head, neck or back hurts. A skater who hit the pads head or neck first should be checked before going back out.

Low back, hips and groin: the price of the crouch

Speed skaters spend hours bent forward with deep knee bends, pushing sideways with each stride. In a Dutch study of young elite athletes (ages 14–25), 60% of speed skaters had low back pain in the past year, and more training hours went with more back pain. In inline speed skaters on the German national team, pain from the sacroiliac joint (where the spine meets the pelvis) showed up in about 90% of the low back pain cases examined, mostly on the left side, the side skaters lean toward in the corners.

The sideways push also loads the groin and hip; in the survey of elite short track skaters, the groin was among the five most commonly injured sites. There’s little research on groin injuries in skaters, but the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) describes athletic pubalgia (“sports hernia”) as a strain or tear of the soft tissue of the lower belly or groin, typical of sports with powerful twisting, like ice hockey. The pain eases with rest but returns when you skate again. Groin pain that keeps coming back deserves a doctor’s visit; AAOS warns that ignored, it can become chronic.

What helps, based on general sports medicine (no speed skating trial has tested it yet): build the volume of low-position skating and dryland work gradually, strengthen the trunk, hips and adductors, and don’t stack big jumps in ice time, slide board and cycling in one week. The Copenhagen adduction exercise cut groin problems by 41% in a soccer trial; it’s a reasonable addition, but it hasn’t been tested in skaters. Our speed skating training page shows how to fit this into a week.

Knees and ankles

Knees and ankles carry most of the injuries in the German short track data, and the knee had the biggest overuse burden in the Dutch youth long track study. In a small trial with young speed skaters, a 15-minute balance circuit five times a week for 12 weeks improved dynamic ankle stability. Pain at the front of the knee that builds over weeks, or an ankle that keeps feeling weak, is a reason to see a PT before it becomes a season-ender.

Concussion: recognize it and remove the skater

Head injuries are real in speed skating: in the Dutch youth study, the head caused the most lost training of any acute injury. Helmets have nearly eliminated skull fractures and bleeding in the brain, but a lab study of speed skating helmets found they handle rotational forces (a key factor in concussion) no better than bike or hockey helmets. A helmet is required; it isn’t concussion-proof. US Speedskating points skaters to the CDC’s concussion resources.

The CDC HEADS UP rule: if you think a skater may have a concussion, remove them from the ice, “When in doubt, sit them out”, and keep them out until a health care provider clears them. Watch for a dazed look, confusion, clumsiness, slow answers or mood changes; skaters may report headache, dizziness, nausea, blurry vision, sensitivity to light or noise, or feeling foggy. Call 911 for the danger signs: one pupil larger than the other, a headache that gets worse, slurred speech, weakness or numbness, repeated vomiting, seizures, growing confusion, or loss of consciousness. The Amsterdam 2022 consensus on concussion in sport recommends only relative rest for 24–48 hours, then a gradual, step-by-step return, and the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine says there is no same-day return to play after a diagnosed concussion.

Protective gear many skaters use

Buy suits, gloves and competition helmets from a speed skating specialist or through your club when you can, and match the label to the level your races require. For training and club skating, many skaters use a short track helmet tested to ASTM F1849 like the LAND Glacier Youth helmet, a cut-resistant neck guard worn under the suit like the Bauer NLP21, and Kevlar-blend cut-resistant socks like TronX for the ankles. Hockey-style gear is rated under its own standards, so check it against your club’s and your competition’s rules.

When to see a sports medicine doctor, PT or athletic trainer

• Right away (call 911 / emergency): any cut that bleeds heavily or spurts, especially at the neck, groin, armpit or thigh (press hard on it and keep pressure on until help arrives); any concussion danger sign; neck or back pain with numbness or weakness after a crash; a possible broken bone.
• Same day: any blade cut that gapes or may need stitches, a suspected concussion, a knee that swells quickly or gives way.
• Soon: low back or groin pain that comes back every time you skate, knee pain that builds over weeks, or pain at night or at rest.

Clubs: make sure someone at every session knows how to control bleeding. Return to skating after any injury should be step by step, cleared by the person treating you. Meanwhile look after the basics on our speed skating recovery page, and see how a contact ice sport handles the same risks on our ice hockey injuries page.

Speed skating injuries: FAQs

What is the most common injury in speed skating?

Back pain is the most widespread complaint: up to 84% of skaters report it over a season in the studies so far. Among injuries that need medical care, knees and ankles lead in short track data, and crashes add bruises and back strains.

Is cut-resistant clothing required in speed skating?

In short track, yes. US Speedskating requires all member skaters to wear full-body cut-resistant protection, cut-resistant gloves and a neck guard, and the ISU sets the minimum level by competition. Long track mass start and team races also follow the ISU cut-protection rules.

Does cut-resistant gear actually prevent injuries?

The fabrics are lab-tested to resist blade cuts under the EN 388 standard, but no study has yet measured how many injuries the gear prevents on the ice. The rules are based on known risk areas, and the ISU says no gear can guarantee full protection.

Why do speed skaters get so much back pain?

The sport is skated in a deep, bent-forward crouch for long periods, and the push goes sideways. Studies link more training hours with more back pain. A PT can check your position and build a trunk and hip strength plan.

Can a skater keep racing after a hard fall if they feel fine?

Not if a head injury is possible. The CDC says remove the skater and keep them out until a health care provider clears them; symptoms can appear hours later. Check for cuts after every crash, too.