ating ▁also ▁developed ▁as ▁a ▁compet itive ▁sport . ▁Rol ler - sk ating ▁races ▁were ▁professional ▁from ▁an ▁early ▁stage . ▁Professional ▁World ▁Championships ▁were ▁arranged ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁between ▁the ▁compet itors ▁on ▁that ▁circuit . ▁Later , ▁roll er ▁der by ▁le agues ▁appeared , ▁a ▁professional ▁contact ▁sport ▁that ▁originally ▁was ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁racing . ▁F IR S ▁World ▁Championships ▁of ▁inline ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁go ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁but ▁many ▁world ▁champions , ▁such ▁as ▁D erek ▁Par ra ▁and ▁Ch ad ▁Hed rick , ▁have ▁switched ▁to ▁ice ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁win ▁Olympic ▁med als . ▁ ▁Like ▁roll er ▁sk ating , ▁ice ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁was ▁also ▁professional ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁Oscar ▁Math isen , ▁five - time ▁IS U ▁world ▁champion ▁and ▁three - time ▁European ▁champion , ▁ren ounced ▁his ▁amateur ▁status ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁and ▁travel led ▁to ▁America , ▁where ▁he ▁won ▁many ▁races ▁but ▁was ▁be aten ▁by ▁Bobby ▁Mc Le an ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁four - time ▁American ▁champion , ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁races . ▁Chicago ▁was ▁a ▁centre ▁of ▁ice ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁in ▁America ; ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁spons ored ▁a ▁competition ▁called ▁the ▁Silver ▁Sk ates ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 2 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁Short ▁track ▁enters ▁the ▁Olympics ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁short ▁track ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁was ▁accepted ▁as ▁an