Speed skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics was held from 14 to 28 February.

Until the 2014 Winter Olympics, the thirteen medals were the most won by any country in speed skating in a single Games.

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.

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.

[3][4] Twenty-one nations competed in the speed skating events at Calgary.