Sledge racing is the Paralympic version of speed skating and, in 1994, for the first time in the history of the Paralympic Winter Games, these events were held in an indoor arena in Lillehammer. As in traditional speed skating competitions, competitors reach remarkable speeds as they propel themselves around the 400 m track. This sport is open to two classes of athletes with disabilities in their lower limbs, and the series of events includes distances of: 100 m, 500 m, 700 m, 1000 m, and 1500 m for both men and women. Lightweight sledges (with no steering capacity) replace skates, and the competitors use two poles to powerfully propel themselves forward.