- Key People:
- Yang Yang
- Apolo Ohno
- Viktor Ahn
- Cathy Turner
- Related Topics:
- Olympic Games
- speed skating
- Winter Olympic Games
short-track speed skating
What is the difference between short-track speed skating and traditional long-track speed skating?
When did short-track speed skating make its Olympic debut?
How long is the track in short-track speed skating?
What safety equipment do short-track speed skaters wear?
What changes were made to the short-track events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games?
short-track speed skating, sport that tests the speed, technical skating ability, and aggressiveness of its competitors. Unlike traditional long-track speed skating, contestants race against each other instead of the clock.
History
Short-track speed skating is rooted in the pack-style racing that was popular in North America during the first part of the 20th century. Amid considerable controversy, this rougher style of speed skating was practiced during the 1932 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, U.S. The short-track sport came to prominence in the 1960s and ’70s. The International Skating Union (ISU) held annual short-track championships from 1978 to 1980, and the first official world championship took place in 1981. Short-track speed skating made its Olympic debut at the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. The event program was expanded several times, starting from the 1994 Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway, when two events (men’s 500 meters and women’s 1000 meters individual races) were added. After the 1994 Games, the ISU set a minimum age limit of 15 years for athletes to compete in short-track events. In 2023 the ISU raised the minimum age threshold to 17 for skaters to be eligible to compete in the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
The contentious nature of the sport often led to controversial refereeing calls involving collisions and close contact between skaters. In 2002 the ISU allowed for the limited use of video replays for short-track racing. The 2012 edition of the ISU’s technical rules included assistant video referees among the race officials. By 2018 instant video replays were being used regularly to decide the outcome of many short-track races.
Racing rinks, rules and events
Racing in groups of four to eight contestants, skaters compete on an indoor track the size of a hockey rink with a lap length of about 111 meters (364 feet). The top two finishers from each heat advance to the next round. Passing strategies and pacing are important components of the sport. Contact often occurs as skaters jockey for position. Because of the sharp turns at high speeds, a special speed skate, one with a taller blade and higher boot, is used to provide extra support for the skater. Falls are common in short-track racing, and skaters wear protective pads on their elbows and knees, as well as helmets and gloves. The walls of the track are also padded. Individual short-track races are held over 500 meters, 1,000 meters, and 1,500 meters for both men and women. Four-person relays cover distances of 3,000 meters (women) and 5,000 meters (men). A mixed relay event with a race distance of 2,000 meters was introduced during the 2022 Beijing Winter Games and is also listed in the program for the 2026 Winter Games.