▁developed , ▁with ▁Swiss ▁sk ater ▁Franz ▁K rien b ühl ▁( who ▁finished ▁ 8 th ▁on ▁the ▁Olympic ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0   m ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 4 6 ) ▁at ▁the ▁front ▁of ▁development . ▁After ▁a ▁while , ▁national ▁teams ▁took ▁over ▁development ▁of ▁" body ▁su its ". ▁Su its ▁and ▁ind oor ▁sk ating , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁cla p ▁sk ate , ▁has ▁helped ▁to ▁lower ▁long ▁track ▁world ▁records ▁consider ably ; ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁the ▁average ▁speed ▁on ▁the ▁men ' s ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁metres ▁was ▁raised ▁from ▁. ▁Similar ▁speed ▁increases ▁are ▁shown ▁in ▁the ▁other ▁distances . ▁ ▁Professional ism ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁season , ▁European ▁long ▁track ▁sk aters ▁founded ▁a ▁professional ▁league , ▁International ▁Speed sk ating ▁League , ▁which ▁included ▁Ar d ▁Sch enk , ▁three - time ▁Olympic ▁gold ▁med all ist ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁five ▁Norweg ians , ▁four ▁other ▁Dutch men , ▁three ▁Sw edes , ▁and ▁a ▁few ▁other ▁sk aters . ▁Jon ny ▁Nil sson , ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁world ▁champion ▁and ▁Olympic ▁gold ▁med all ist , ▁was ▁the ▁driving ▁force ▁behind ▁the ▁league , ▁which ▁fol ded ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁for ▁economic ▁reasons , ▁and ▁IS U ▁also ▁ex cluded ▁tracks ▁hosting ▁professional ▁races ▁from ▁future