Kompleks Medeo
| Place
| Medeo
|
| Altitude
| 1691 m above sea level
|
| Type
| Outdoor, Natural ice
|
Map
Almaty (formerly Alma Ata) is the largest city in Kazakhstan and the former capital of the Republic (until November 1997), with a population of approximately 1,3 millions. In the city three speed skating rinks (Spartak, Dinamo and Tsentralnyj) have been in use, but the city is far more known for a track 18 km outside of the city and further up in the mountains - Kompleks Medeo. Medeo is a picturesque valley, and the ice stadium has been carefully located and designed so it looks like it has been created in the mountains in a natural way.
The first Medeo track was opened in 1951 and it was an instant success, producing times which the rest of the speed skating world had hard to believe. Some years later it was destroyed by a rock avalanche and was not used for several years.
The track was rebuilt in the start of the 1970s, at a cost of approximately 30 million US$, and it was reopened in December 1972. In the following years there was an avalanche of new World Records. In the spring months, Soviet speed skaters stayed at Medeo for several weeks waiting for nice weather and perfect conditions, and many Russians, often without any international experience, entered the top of ranking lists and the adelskalender.
During a 14 days period - 15 March to 29 March 1975 - Yevgeni Kulikov and Valeri Muratov lowered the 500 m World Record 5 times, from 38,0 to 37,00. In a country match between Norway and the Soviet Union in March 1977 Sergey Marchuk and Kay Arne Stenshjemmet were the first to break 7 minutes on the 5000 m.
The secret of the track, apart from the thin air, were the famous fall winds, which led to skaters having the wind in their backs during the entire lap. It is also said that the structure of the ice crystals add to the high speeds - a consequence of the magnetic field between the two mountains where the track lies. Skaters said "it's like your skates want to slide away from you, the ice is that fast".
But as the weather could make conditions perfect, the wind and the sun would often change during the day, making the conditions far from equal. This had a major influence on the results of the only World Championships for men ever held at Medeo, The World Championships of 1988. In spite of this, American Eric Flaim was a deserved World Champion.
After the introduction of indoor tracks for speed skating in 1986, Medeo lost the magic and the hegemony for World Records. In recent years. the track has been deteriorating due to lack of money and maintenance. The freezing system has not been in function for years. The Asian World Championship Qualifier of 2002 was scheduled to be held at Medeo, but the tournament was cancelled due to instability in the region after the American invasion of Afghanistan - although this was probably just an excuse to cover financial problems.
The first World Record was set 5 February 1951 by Sofya Kondakova. A total of 126 senior World Records have been set at Medeo, 51 for men and 75 for women. The last was set in 1986 by Karin Kania. In addition to the World Records, several unofficial World Records were set in races not approved by the ISU. Some of these are:
- Vladmimir Lobanov skated 1.53,8 - 1,8 below the World Record - in 1500 m during the traditional Christmas races at Medeo in December 1976
- In 1977 Sergey Marchuk skated a 3000 m in 3.56,65 - 11,6 seconds below the WR. This remained the best time on the distance for 15 years, and it is still (2003) the track record of Medeo.
- In December 1983 Igor Malkov completed a 10000 m in 13.54,81, almost 30 seconds below the World Record.
- American Nick Thometz did 36,23 (0,32 below WR) and 1.12,05 (0,53 below WR) in 1987. These remained the best times in the world until 1993/1996 and they are still track records at Medeo (2003)
Last updated on 22 December 2006 by Bjarte Hetland.
Tournaments
World Records
| Distance
| Time
| Skater
| Nation
| Date
|
| 1000 m Men Junior
| 1.16,91
| Aleksandr Furin
| 
| 23 March 1983
|
| 1000 m Men Junior
| 1.16,67
| Aleksandr Furin
|
| 24 March 1983
|
| 1000 m Men Junior
| 1.15,50
| Roman Popadchuk
|
| 17 March 1986
|
| 1000 m Men Junior
| 1.14,98
| Vadim Shakshakbayev
|
| 25 December 1989
|
| 1000 m Men Junior
| 1.14,64
| Vadim Shakshakbayev
|
| 5 February 1991
|
| 1500 m Men Junior
| 1.56,15
| Aleksandr Klimov
|
| 24 March 1983
|
| 3000 m Men Junior
| 4.07,95
| Aleksandr Klimov
|
| 23 March 1983
|
| 3000 m Men Junior
| 4.05,99
| Valeri Guk
|
| 14 March 1984
|
| 500 m Men Junior
| 38,19
| Aleksandr Antipov
|
| 26 March 1982
|
| 500 m Men Junior
| 38,01
| Roman Popadchuk
|
| 17 March 1986
|
| 500 m Men Junior
| 37,48
| Roman Popadchuk
|
| 21 March 1986
|
| 500 m Men Junior
| 37,23
| Roman Popadchuk
|
| 13 December 1986
|
| 500 m Men Junior
| 37,08
| Vadim Shakshakbayev
|
| 5 February 1991
|
| 500 m Men Junior
| 37,01
| Aleksandr Golubyov
|
| 6 February 1991
|
| 500 m Men Junior
| 36,68
| Vadim Shakshakbayev
|
| 19 March 1991
|
| Allround Men Junior
| 164.583
| Aleksandr Klimov
|
| 24 March 1983
|
| Allround Men Junior
| 161.828
| Valeri Guk
|
| 15 March 1984
|
| Sprint Men Junior
| 152.695
| Roman Popadchuk
|
| 13 December 1986
|
| Sprint Men Junior
| 151.380
| Vadim Shakshakbayev
|
| 26 December 1990
|
| Sprint Men Junior
| 149.560
| Vadim Shakshakbayev
|
| 6 February 1991
|
| 1000 m Women Junior
| 1.27,02
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 23 February 1976
|
| 1000 m Women Junior
| 1.22,24
| Cornelia Dick
| 
| 23 March 1985
|
| 1000 m Women Junior
| 1.22,10
| Lyudmila Tuberozova
|
| 22 March 1986
|
| 1500 m Women Junior
| 2.17,07
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 15 March 1976
|
| 1500 m Women Junior
| 2.06,24
| Monique Garbrecht
|
| 21 March 1987
|
| 3000 m Women Junior
| 4.46,56
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 16 March 1976
|
| 3000 m Women Junior
| 4.25,47
| Monique Garbrecht
|
| 20 March 1987
|
| 500 m Women Junior
| 44,12
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 15 March 1976
|
| 500 m Women Junior
| 40,98
| Skadi Walter
|
| 26 March 1982
|
| 500 m Women Junior
| 40,95
| Sylke Luding
|
| 20 March 1987
|
| 500 m Women Junior
| 40,89
| Sylke Luding
|
| 21 March 1987
|
| Allround Women Junior
| 181.765
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 16 March 1976
|
| Sprint Women Junior
| 167.385
| Cornelia Dick
|
| 23 March 1985
|
| Sprint Women Junior
| 165.160
| Sylke Luding
|
| 21 March 1987
|
| 1000 m Men
| 1.19,2
| Valeri Muratov
|
| 24 January 1970
|
| 1000 m Men
| 1.17,23
| Aleksandr Safronov
|
| 11 April 1974
|
| 1000 m Men
| 1.16,92
| Valeri Muratov
|
| 17 March 1975
|
| 1000 m Men
| 1.22,8
| Yevgeni Grishin
|
| 12 January 1955
|
| 1000 m Men
| 1.12,58
| Pavel Pegov
|
| 25 March 1983
|
| 1000 m Men
| 1.15,70
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 20 March 1976
|
| 1000 m Men
| 1.15,33
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 19 March 1977
|
| 10000 m Men
| 14.52,73
| Viktor Varlamov
|
| 25 March 1975
|
| 10000 m Men
| 14.38,08
| Sten Stensen
| 
| 21 March 1976
|
| 10000 m Men
| 14.34,33
| Viktor Lyoskin
|
| 3 April 1977
|
| 10000 m Men
| 14.26,71
| Dmitri Ogloblin
|
| 29 March 1980
|
| 10000 m Men
| 14.21,51
| Igor Malkov
|
| 24 March 1984
|
| 1500 m Men
| 2.12,9
| Valentin Chaikin
|
| 20 January 1952
|
| 1500 m Men
| 2.09,8
| Yevgeni Grishin
|
| 10 January 1955
|
| 1500 m Men
| 1.55,18
| Jan Egil Storholt
|
| 20 March 1977
|
| 1500 m Men
| 1.54,26
| Igor Zhelezovski
|
| 26 March 1983
|
| 1500 m Men
| 1.53,26
| Oleg Bozhev
|
| 24 March 1984
|
| 3000 m Men
| 4.04,06
| Dmitri Ogloblin
|
| 28 March 1979
|
| 500 m Men
| 41,7
| Yuri Sergeyev
|
| 6 January 1952
|
| 500 m Men
| 41,2
| Yuri Sergeyev
|
| 19 January 1952
|
| 500 m Men
| 40,9
| Yuri Sergeyev
|
| 25 January 1953
|
| 500 m Men
| 40,8
| Yuri Sergeyev
|
| 19 January 1955
|
| 500 m Men
| 39,6
| Yevgeni Grishin
|
| 27 January 1963
|
| 500 m Men
| 39,5
| Yevgeni Grishin
|
| 28 January 1963
|
| 500 m Men
| 39,09
| Valeri Muratov
|
| 9 January 1970
|
| 500 m Men
| 39,03
| Boris Gulyayev
|
| 13 January 1970
|
| 500 m Men
| 38,99
| Valeri Muratov
|
| 24 January 1970
|
| 500 m Men
| 38,87
| Hasse Börjes
| 
| 25 January 1970
|
| 500 m Men
| 38,73
| Valeri Muratov
|
| 29 January 1970
|
| 500 m Men
| 37,99
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 15 March 1975
|
| 500 m Men
| 37,97
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 16 March 1975
|
| 500 m Men
| 37,85
| Valeri Muratov
|
| 18 March 1975
|
| 500 m Men
| 37,20
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 28 March 1975
|
| 500 m Men
| 37,00
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 29 March 1975
|
| 500 m Men
| 36,91
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 28 March 1981
|
| 500 m Men
| 36,68
| Pavel Pegov
|
| 25 March 1983
|
| 500 m Men
| 36,57
| Pavel Pegov
|
| 26 March 1983
|
| 5000 m Men
| 8.03,7
| Nikolay Mamonov
|
| 23 November 1952
|
| 5000 m Men
| 7.45,6
| Boris Shilkov
|
| 9 January 1955
|
| 5000 m Men
| 7.08,92
| Yuri Kondakov
|
| 24 March 1975
|
| 5000 m Men
| 6.56,9
| Kay Arne Stenshjemmet
|
| 19 March 1977
|
| 5000 m Men
| 6.54,66
| Aleksandr Baranov
|
| 18 March 1982
|
| 5000 m Men
| 6.49,15
| Viktor Shasherin
|
| 23 March 1984
|
| Allround Men
| 184.638
| Dmitri Sakunenko
|
| 10 January 1955
|
| Allround Men
| 163.221
| Jan Egil Storholt
|
| 20 March 1977
|
| Allround Men
| 161.550
| Viktor Shasherin
|
| 26 March 1983
|
| Allround Men
| 160.807
| Viktor Shasherin
|
| 24 March 1984
|
| Sprint Men
| 153.390
| Valeri Muratov
|
| 18 March 1975
|
| Sprint Men
| 153.250
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 29 March 1975
|
| Sprint Men
| 151.190
| Yevgeni Kulikov
|
| 21 March 1976
|
| Sprint Men
| 146.955
| Pavel Pegov
|
| 26 March 1983
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.36,8
| Sofya Kondakova
|
| 5 February 1951
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.36,6
| Rimma Zhukova
|
| 22 January 1952
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.36,4
| Lidia Selikhova
|
| 30 January 1953
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.33,4
| Tamara Rylova
|
| 12 January 1955
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.29,5
| Lyudmila Titova
|
| 9 January 1970
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.29,0
| Lyudmila Fetshina
|
| 10 January 1970
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.26,40
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 2 April 1974
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.26,12
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 12 March 1975
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.25,28
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 22 March 1975
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.23,46
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 29 March 1975
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.23,01
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 27 March 1980
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.20,95
| Christa Rothenburger
|
| 27 March 1981
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.20,81
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 28 March 1981
|
| 1000 m Women
| 1.19,31
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 26 March 1983
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.29,5
| Maria Isakova
|
| 12 February 1951
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.25,5
| Khalida Shchegoleyeva
|
| 30 January 1953
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.19,0
| Inga Artamonova
|
| 27 January 1962
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.17,8
| Nina Statkevich
|
| 17 January 1970
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.14,00
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 1 April 1974
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.09,90
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 11 March 1975
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.07,18
| Khalida Vorobyova
|
| 10 April 1978
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.06,01
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 3 January 1981
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.05,39
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 27 March 1981
|
| 1500 m Women
| 2.04,04
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 25 March 1983
|
| 1500 m Women
| 1.59,30
| Karin Kania-Enke
|
| 22 March 1986
|
| 3000 m Women
| 5.26,7
| Tatyana Karelina
|
| 11 February 1951
|
| 3000 m Women
| 5.22,2
| Olga Akifyeva
|
| 16 February 1951
|
| 3000 m Women
| 5.21,3
| Rimma Zhukova
|
| 8 January 1952
|
| 3000 m Women
| 5.13,8
| Rimma Zhukova
|
| 23 January 1953
|
| 3000 m Women
| 5.06,0
| Inga Artamonova
|
| 28 January 1962
|
| 3000 m Women
| 4.44,69
| Tamara Kuznetsova
|
| 12 January 1975
|
| 3000 m Women
| 4.40,59
| Galina Stepanskaya
|
| 16 March 1976
|
| 3000 m Women
| 4.31,00
| Galina Stepanskaya
|
| 23 March 1976
|
| 3000 m Women
| 4.21,70
| Gabi Schönbrunn
|
| 28 March 1981
|
| 3000 m Women
| 4.20,91
| Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich
|
| 23 March 1984
|
| 3000 m Women
| 4.18,02
| Karin Kania-Enke
|
| 21 March 1986
|
| 500 m Women
| 45,6
| Tamara Rylova
|
| 11 January 1955
|
| 500 m Women
| 44,9
| Inga Voronina-Artamonova
|
| 27 January 1962
|
| 500 m Women
| 43,29
| Tatyana Sidorova
|
| 9 January 1970
|
| 500 m Women
| 43,22
| Tatyana Sidorova
|
| 17 January 1970
|
| 500 m Women
| 41,70
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 11 March 1975
|
| 500 m Women
| 41,69
| Lyubov Sadchikova
|
| 21 March 1975
|
| 500 m Women
| 41,06
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 29 March 1975
|
| 500 m Women
| 40,28
| Christa Rothenburger
|
| 27 March 1981
|
| 500 m Women
| 40,18
| Christa Rothenburger
|
| 28 March 1981
|
| 500 m Women
| 39,69
| Christa Rothenburger
|
| 25 March 1983
|
| 500 m Women
| 39,52
| Karin Kania-Enke
|
| 21 March 1986
|
| 5000 m Women
| 9.10,7
| Tatyana Karelina
|
| 12 February 1951
|
| 5000 m Women
| 9.01,6
| Rimma Zhukova
|
| 24 January 1953
|
| 5000 m Women
| 7.39,44
| Gabi Schönbrunn
|
| 15 January 1984
|
| 5000 m Women
| 7.34,52
| Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich
|
| 24 March 1984
|
| 5000 m Women
| 7.20,99
| Andrea Schöne-Mitscherlich
|
| 22 March 1986
|
| Allround Women
| 210.431
| Sofya Kondakova
|
| 5 February 1951
|
| Allround Women
| 208.820
| Tatyana Karelina
|
| 12 February 1951
|
| Allround Women
| 208.750
| Rimma Zhukova
|
| 22 January 1952
|
| Allround Women
| 204.010
| Rimma Zhukova
|
| 24 January 1953
|
| Allround Women
| 203.920
| Tamara Rylova
|
| 22 January 1955
|
| Allround Women
| 174.710
| Gabi Schönbrunn
|
| 15 January 1984
|
| Allround Women
| 171.760
| Andrea Ehrig-Mitscherlich
|
| 24 March 1984
|
| Allround Women
| 168.271
| Karin Kania-Enke
|
| 22 March 1986
|
| Small Allround Women
| 203.299
| Galina Romanova
|
| 27 January 1958
|
| Small Allround Women
| 196.416
| Tamara Rylova
|
| 21 January 1960
|
| Small Allround Women
| 189.033
| Inga Artamonova
|
| 28 January 1962
|
| Small Allround Women
| 184.053
| Nina Statkevich
|
| 18 January 1970
|
| Small Allround Women
| 180.09
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 2 April 1974
|
| Small Allround Women
| 176.930
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 12 March 1975
|
| Small Allround Women
| 173.810
| Galina Stepanskaya
|
| 23 March 1976
|
| Small Allround Women
| 173.434
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 27 March 1980
|
| Small Allround Women
| 171.149
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 4 January 1981
|
| Small Allround Women
| 166.682
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 26 March 1983
|
| Small Allround Women
| 168.387
| Natalya Petrusyova
|
| 28 March 1983
|
| Sprint Women
| 168.285
| Tatyana Averina
|
| 29 March 1975
|
| Sprint Women
| 162.275
| Christa Rothenburger
|
| 28 March 1981
|
| Sprint Women
| 161.120
| Christa Rothenburger
|
| 26 March 1983
|