# Speed skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics

Speed skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics was held from 14 to 28 February. Ten events were contested at Olympic Oval. For the first time, the women contested a 5000-metre race, the longest distance contested by women in speed skating.

## Medal summary
### Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | East Germany (GDR) | 3 | 6 | 4 | 13 |
| 2 | Netherlands (NED) | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 3 | Sweden (SWE) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | United States (USA) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Soviet Union (URS) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Austria (AUT) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Japan (JPN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (7 entries) | Totals (7 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |
East Germany topped the medal table with three gold medals, and thirteen total. Until the 2014 Winter Olympics, the thirteen medals were the most won by any country in speed skating in a single Games. The Dutch surpassed that total with 23.
The Netherlands' Yvonne van Gennip led the individual medal table with three golds, while Sweden's Tomas Gustafson was the most successful male skater, with two gold medals.

### Men's events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 500 metres details | Uwe-Jens Mey East Germany | 36.45 WR | Jan Ykema Netherlands | 36.76 | Akira Kuroiwa Japan | 36.77 |
| 1000 metres details | Nikolay Gulyayev Soviet Union | 1:13.03 (OR) | Uwe-Jens Mey East Germany | 1:13.11 | Igor Zhelezovski Soviet Union | 1:13.19 |
| 1500 metres details | André Hoffmann East Germany | 1:52.06 WR | Eric Flaim United States | 1:52.12 | Michael Hadschieff Austria | 1:52.31 |
| 5000 metres details | Tomas Gustafson Sweden | 6:44.63 (OR) | Leo Visser Netherlands | 6:44.98 | Gerard Kemkers Netherlands | 6:45.92 |
| 10,000 metres details | Tomas Gustafson Sweden | 13:48.20 WR | Michael Hadschieff Austria | 13:56.11 | Leo Visser Netherlands | 14:00.55 |

### Women's events

| Event | Gold | Gold | Silver | Silver | Bronze | Bronze |
| 500 metres details | Bonnie Blair United States | 39.10 WR | Christa Rothenburger East Germany | 39.12 | Karin Kania East Germany | 39.24 |
| 1000 metres details | Christa Rothenburger East Germany | 1:17.65 WR | Karin Kania East Germany | 1:17.70 | Bonnie Blair United States | 1:18.31 |
| 1500 metres details | Yvonne van Gennip Netherlands | 2:00.68 (OR) | Karin Kania East Germany | 2:00.82 | Andrea Ehrig East Germany | 2:01.49 |
| 3000 metres details | Yvonne van Gennip Netherlands | 4:11.94 WR | Andrea Ehrig East Germany | 4:12.09 | Gabi Zange East Germany | 4:16.92 |
| 5000 metres details | Yvonne van Gennip Netherlands | 7:14.13 WR | Andrea Ehrig East Germany | 7:17.12 | Gabi Zange East Germany | 7:21.61 |

## Records

The Calgary Olympic Oval was one of the fastest rinks in the world when it opened, with six new world records set, and all existing Olympic records bettered.
| Event | Date | Team | Time | OR | WR |
| Men's 500 metres | 14 February | Uwe-Jens Mey (GDR) | 36.45 | OR | WR |
| Men's 1000 metres | 18 February | Nikolay Gulyayev (URS) | 1:13.03 | OR | |
| Men's 1500 metres | 20 February | André Hoffmann (GDR) | 1:52.06 | OR | WR |
| Men's 5000 metres | 17 February | Tomas Gustafson (SWE) | 6:44.63 | OR | |
| Men's 10000 metres | 21 February | Tomas Gustafson (SWE) | 13:48.20 | OR | WR |
| Women's 500 metres | 22 February | Bonnie Blair (USA) | 38.69 | OR | WR |
| Women's 1000 metres | 26 February | Christa Rothenburger (GDR) | 1:17.65 | OR | WR |
| Women's 1500 metres | 27 February | Yvonne van Gennip (NED) | 2:00.68 | OR | |
| Women's 3000 metres | 23 February | Yvonne van Gennip (NED) | 4:11.94 | OR | WR |
| Women's 5000 metres | 28 February | Yvonne van Gennip (NED) | 7:14.13 | OR | WR |

## Participating NOCs

Twenty-one nations competed in the speed skating events at Calgary.
* Australia (4)
* Austria (3)
* Canada (16)
* China (4)
* Finland (2)
* France (4)
* West Germany (5)
* Great Britain (2)
* East Germany (10)
* Italy (3)
* Japan (12)
* South Korea (6)
* Netherlands (11)
* Norway (7)
* Poland (3)
* North Korea (4)
* Sweden (7)
* Czechoslovakia (1)
* Soviet Union (17)
* United States (15)
* Yugoslavia (2)