The World Short Track Speed Skating Championships are a senior international short track speed skating competition held once a year to determine the World Champion in individual distances, relays and Overall Classification. It is sanctioned by the International Skating Union and is usually held in March or April.
In 1967, the International Skating Union adopted short track speed skating, although it did not organise international competitions until 1976. World Championships have been held since 1981, though earlier events later received that status.
Skaters perform individual races in the 500 meters, 1000 meters, 1500 meters, 3000 meters (super-final involving eight competitors with highest points after completion of other distances) and a four-person race, in the 3000 meters relay for women, and the 5000 meters relay for men. Points are given for each placings in the finals of individual distances (currently 34 points for 1st, 21 for 2nd, 13 for 3rd, 8 for 4th, 5 for 5th, 3 for 6th, 2 for 7th, 1 for 8th). From 2009, the leader after first 1000m in the 3000m super-final is given extra 5 points. The athlete with the highest points after the points for all individual distances are added up (maximum 141 points, 136 points before 2009) is declared the Men's or Ladies' Overall World Short-track Speed Skating Champion. In case of a tie in points, precedence is given to the athlete with higher placing in the 3000m super-final.
The 2020 edition was supposed to be held in Seoul, South Korea, from 13 to 15 March 2020 but had been postponed after authorities ordered the closure of the Mokdong Ice Rink due to the outbreak of the coronavirus. The International Skating Union initially announced they were trying to reschedule the tournament to the beginning of the 2020–21 season but cancelled the event on 16 April 2020.
Summary 1976-1977: as a world event (World Competition)
1978-1980: as ISU championship
1981-now: as ISU World Championship
EditionYearHostEvents1 1976 Champaign 132 1977 Grenoble 103 1978 Solihull 44 1979 Québec 45 1980 Milan 46 1981 Meudon 47 1982 Moncton 108 1983 Tokyo 129 1984 Peterborough 1210 1985 Amsterdam 411 1986 Chamonix 412 1987 Montréal 513 1988 St. Louis 414 1989 Solihull 415 1990 Amsterdam 416 1991 Sydney 417 1992 Denver 418 1993 Beijing 419 1994 Guildford 420 1995 Gjøvik 1221 1996 The Hague 1222 1997 Nagano 1023 1998 Vienna 1024 1999 Sofia 1225 2000 Sheffield 1226 2001 Jeonju 12EditionYearHostEvents27 2002 Montreal 1228 2003 Warsaw 1229 2004 Gothenburg 1230 2005 Beijing 1031 2006 Minneapolis 1032 2007 Milan 1033 2008 Gangneung 1034 2009 Vienna 1035 2010 Sofia 1036 2011 Sheffield 1037 2012 Shanghai 1038 2013 Debrecen 1039 2014 Montréal 1040 2015 Moscow 1041 2016 Seoul 1042 2017 Rotterdam 1043 2018 Montréal 1044 2019 Sofia 1045 2021 Dordrecht 1046 2022 Montréal 1047 2023 Seoul 948 2024 Rotterdam 949 2025 Beijing 950 2026 Montréal 951 2027 Seoul 9 2020 Edition in Seoul was cancelled.
Overall classification medalists Men Season LocationWinnerRunner-upThird 1976 Champaign Alan Rattray Gaetan Boucher Andre Chabrerie 1977 Grenoble Gaetan Boucher Craig Kressler Hiroshi Toda 1978 Solihull James Lynch Harry Spragg Alan Rattray 1979 Québec Hiroshi Toda Louis Baril Nick Thometz 1980 Milan Gaetan Boucher (2) Louis Gernier Marc Bella 1981 Meudon Benoit Baril Gaetan Boucher Michael Richmond 1982 Moncton Guy Daignault Gaetan Boucher Louis Gernier 1983 Tokyo Louis Gernier Michel Delisle Guy Daignault 1984 Peterborough Guy Daignault (2) Tatsuyoshi Ishihara Michel Daignault 1985 Amsterdam Toshinobu Kawai Tatsuyoshi Ishihara Louis Gernier 1986 Chamonix Tatsuyoshi Ishihara Guy Daignault Robert Dubreuil 1987 Montréal Michel Daignault Toshinobu Kawai (2) none awarded Charles Veldhoven 1988 St. Louis Peter van der Velde Richard Suyten Tatsuyoshi Ishihara 1989 Solihull Michel Daignault (2) Kim Ki-Hoon Mark Lackie 1990 Amsterdam Lee Joon-Ho Yuichi Akasaka Wilf O'Reilly none awarded 1991 Sydney Wilf O'Reilly Kim Ki-Hoon Lee Joon-Ho 1992 Denver Kim Ki-Hoon Mo Ji-Soo Lee Joon-Ho 1993 Beijing Marc Gagnon Sylvain Gagnon Chae Ji-Hoon Kim Ki-Hoon 1994 Guildford Marc Gagnon Chae Ji-Hoon Frederic Blackburn none awarded 1995 Gjøvik Chae Ji-Hoon Marc Gagnon Song Jae-Kun 1996 The Hague Marc Gagnon Chae Ji-Hoon Orazio Fagone 1997 Nagano Kim Dong-Sung Marc Gagnon Derrick Campbell 1998 Vienna Marc Gagnon (4) Fabio Carta Kim Dong-Sung 1999 Sofia Li Jiajun Satoru Terao Fabio Carta 2000 Sheffield Min Ryoung Éric Bédard Li Jiajun 2001 Jeonju Li Jiajun (2) Apolo Anton Ohno Marc Gagnon 2002 Montreal Kim Dong-Sung (2) Ahn Hyun-Soo Fabio Carta 2003 Warsaw Ahn Hyun-Soo Li Jiajun Song Suk-Woo 2004 Gothenburg Ahn Hyun-Soo Song Suk-Woo Li Jiajun 2005 Beijing Ahn Hyun-Soo Apolo Anton Ohno François-Louis Tremblay 2006 Minneapolis Ahn Hyun-Soo Lee Ho-Suk François-Louis Tremblay 2007 Milan Ahn Hyun-Soo Charles Hamelin Apolo Anton Ohno 2008 Gangneung Apolo Anton Ohno Lee Ho-Suk Song Kyung-Taek 2009 Vienna Lee Ho-Suk J.R. Celski Charles Hamelin 2010 Sofia Lee Ho-Suk (2) Kwak Yoon-Gy Liang Wenhao 2011 Sheffield Noh Jin-Kyu Charles Hamelin Liang Wenhao 2012 Shanghai Kwak Yoon-Gy Noh Jin-Kyu Olivier Jean 2013 Debrecen Sin Da-Woon Kim Yun-Jae Charles Hamelin 2014 Montréal Viktor An (6) J.R. Celski Charles Hamelin 2015 Moscow Sjinkie Knegt Park Se-yeong Wu Dajing 2016 Seoul Han Tianyu Charles Hamelin Shaolin Sándor Liu 2017 Rotterdam Seo Yi-ra Sjinkie Knegt Samuel Girard 2018 Montréal Charles Hamelin Shaolin Sándor Liu Hwang Dae-Heon 2019 Sofia Lim Hyo-jun Hwang Dae-heon Semion Elistratov 2020 Seoul Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Dordrecht Shaoang Liu Shaolin Sándor Liu RSU Semion Elistratov 2022 Montréal Shaoang Liu (2) Pascal Dion Lee June-seo
Ladies Season LocationWinnerRunner-upThird 1976 Champaign Celeste Chlapaty Kathy Vogt Peggy Hartrich 1977 Grenoble Brenda Webster Kathy Vogt Valie Reimann 1978 Solihull Sarah Docter Miyoshi Kato Patty Lyman 1979 Québec Sylvie Daigle Cathy Turnbull Miyoshi Kato 1980 Milan Miyoshi Kato Mika Kato Cathy Turnbull 1981 Meudon Miyoshi Kato (2) Mika Kato Louise Begin 1982 Moncton Maryse Perreault Louise Begin Sylvie Daigle 1983 Tokyo Sylvie Daigle Mika Kato Miyoshi Kato Maryse Perreault 1984 Peterborough Mariko Kinoshita Sylvie Daigle Bonnie Blair Nathalie Lambert 1985 Amsterdam Eiko Shishii Bonnie Blair Nathalie Lambert 1986 Chamonix Bonnie Blair Nathalie Lambert Maryse Perreault none awarded 1987 Montréal Eiko Shishii (2) Nathalie Lambert Mariko Kinoshita 1988 St. Louis Sylvie Daigle Yumiko Yamada Eiko Shishii 1989 Solihull Sylvie Daigle Maryse Perreault Guo Hongru 1990 Amsterdam Sylvie Daigle (5) Joelle van Koestveld Eden Donatelli 1991 Sydney Nathalie Lambert Sylvie Daigle Zhang Yanmei 1992 Denver Kim So-hee Yan Li Nobuku Yamada 1993 Beijing Nathalie Lambert Chun Lee-kyung Zhang Yanmei 1994 Guildford Nathalie Lambert (3) Kim So-hee Kim Ryang-hee 1995 Gjøvik Chun Lee-kyung Wang Chunlu Kim Yoon-mi 1996 The Hague Chun Lee-kyung Won Hye-kyung Isabelle Charest 1997 Nagano Chun Lee-kyung (3) Yang Yang (A) none awarded Won Hye-kyung 1998 Vienna Yang Yang (A) Chun Lee-kyung Wang Chunlu none awarded 1999 Sofia Yang Yang (A) Yang Yang (S) Kim Moon-jung 2000 Sheffield Yang Yang (A) An Sang-mi Yang Yang (S) 2001 Jeonju Yang Yang (A) Wang Chunlu Evgenia Radanova 2002 Montréal Yang Yang (A) (6) Ko Gi-hyun Evgenia Radanova 2003 Warsaw Choi Eun-kyung Yang Yang (A) Kim Min-jee 2004 Gothenburg Choi Eun-kyung (2) Wang Meng Byun Chun-sa 2005 Beijing Jin Sun-yu Choi Eun-kyung Kang Yun-mi 2006 Minneapolis Jin Sun-yu Wang Meng Kalyna Roberge 2007 Milan Jin Sun-yu (3) Jung Eun-ju Kalyna Roberge 2008 Gangneung Wang Meng Zhou Yang Yang Shin-young 2009 Vienna Wang Meng Kim Min-jung Zhou Yang 2010 Sofia Park Seung-hi Wang Meng Cho Ha-ri 2011 Sheffield Cho Ha-ri Katherine Reutter Arianna Fontana 2012 Shanghai Li Jianrou Valérie Maltais Arianna Fontana 2013 Debrecen Wang Meng (3) Park Seung-hi Shim Suk-hee 2014 Montréal Shim Suk-hee Park Seung-hi Valérie Maltais 2015 Moscow Choi Min-jeong Arianna Fontana Shim Suk-hee 2016 Seoul Choi Min-jeong Marianne St-Gelais Elise Christie 2017 Rotterdam Elise Christie Marianne St-Gelais Shim Suk-hee 2018 Montréal Choi Min-jeong Shim Suk-hee Li Jinyu 2019 Sofia Suzanne Schulting Choi Min-jeong Kim Boutin 2020 Seoul Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2021 Dordrecht Suzanne Schulting (2) Courtney Sarault Arianna Fontana 2022 Montréal Choi Min-jeong (4) Kim Boutin Xandra Velzeboer
All-time medal count After the 2025 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships.
Hosting tally Times hosted Host country 7 6 5 4 , , 3 , 2 , , 1 , , , , ,
Records Largest number of titles Men: Ahn Hyun Soo / Viktor An: 6 (2003–2007, 2014) Ladies: Yang Yang (A) : 6 (1997–2002)
Most consecutive titles Men: Ahn Hyun-Soo: 5 (2003–2007) Ladies: Yang Yang (A): 6 (1997–2002)
Gold medal sweeps Men: 2002 ( Kim Dong-Sung) Men: 1992 ( Kim Ki-Hoon) Ladies: 1983 ( Sylvie Daigle) – relay title not awarded despite the win in the race Ladies: 2021 ( Suzanne Schulting)
Medal sweeps Men: 1982–1983 ( Canada), 1992 ( South Korea), 2025 ( Canada) Ladies: 1982 ( Canada), 2005 ( South Korea)
Notes
See also World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships World Speed Skating Championships Short Track Speed Skating World Cup Short Track World Tour Short track speed skating
References
External links International Skating Union