Maximum acceleration; flight time

[black]

Skating is, you bend one leg, push and glide; alternate legs etc..
The slower you do this, the slower you move on the ice.
Inversely, going as fast as you can, you will reach a point where your blades will leave the ice.
This is because you are bending your legs at a faster rate than the rate of free fall.
Since you cannot pull yourself down, only push away from, this is the maximum speed at which you can skate.
A bit like (regular) running (off ice) where both feet have flight time.
I was watching a speed skater, and they always had one skate on the ground; I was thinking, “they could go faster..”
Obviously it would take great effort (& balance), very quick fast-twitch muscles, since you are literally jumping forward with each step.

[bikerwally]

Two things make it difficult to jump with speed skates:

1.   Speed skates don’t have a hollow, they are flat.
2.   Speed skates have lower shoes than regular skates.

Speed skaters have to be in a compact position to reduce air resistance. To be in this low position, they have to bend their hips, knees, and ankles at a sharp angle. This gives them a more stable position. The center of body gravity is closer to the ground, and they lock their ankles: this way their feet can’t pronate, roll outward, anymore. Bending the ankles isn't possible with a higher hard shoe.

Therefore, jumping with speed skates would increase the risk of falling.

[black]

Here's a slight example of a speed skater doing it;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZVhArisFZg (0:38)
Clip shows real-time, then again in slow-mo.
Look how he's slightly in the air at the beginning between pushes.

Also a hockey player explains it, and demonstrates;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gjDjiWysok (7:17)
He doesn't have as much flight time as the speed skater, but same idea.

Acceleration is also highly prized for figure skaters, to quickly transition means more content/points.

[black]

Another example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyqPV_yLKoI
Click the cog icon on the video -> Playback speed = 0.25
Kendall Coyne Schofield starts at ~0:18; does a little straight line running with flight time.
Watch how she takes the 2nd corner ~0:22 she’s literally leaping over her skates in the crossovers.

I think I understand it now; when you start skating from standstill you can push behind faster than you move. However you will accelerate to a point that the ice is moving past you quicker than you can push away. Before this happens flight time is possible.

And when you take a corner on skates your direction of travel is constantly changing on the curve. This means that you can push away faster than you are moving because you are travelling slower in the resultant direction, hence you accelerate. Once you get reasonably good at crossovers it's an effort to maintain a slow controlled pace, otherwise they just seem to easily speed up.