Bonnie Blair was the most successful woman, with a pair of gold medals.

Belarus won its first medal in speed skating, with the nation competing in the Winter Olympics for the first time.

Russia competed not as the Soviet Union for the first time and clinched five medals, building on its huge speed skating tradition.

[5][6] Twenty-one nations competed in the speed skating events at Lillehammer.

Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine made their Olympic speed skating debuts.