Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of . The rink itself is long by wide, which is the same size as an Olympic-sized figure skating rink and an international-sized ice hockey rink. Related sports include long-track speed skating and inline speed skating.
History Short-track skating developed from speed skating events that were held with mass starts. This form of speed skating was mainly practised in the United States and Canada, as opposed to the international form (derived from Europe), where athletes skated in pairs. At the 1932 Winter Olympics, speed skating events were conducted in the mass start form. Competitions in North America tended to be held indoors, for example in New York's Madison Square Garden III within the arena's ice hockey configuration, requiring a compressed setup reminiscent of the style of roller derby.
In 1967, the International Skating Union (ISU) adopted short-track speed skating, although it did not organize international competitions until 1976. World Championships in short-track speed skating have been officially held since 1981, although events held in 1976–1980 under different names have since received the status of World Championships retrospectively. The name of the competition was changed several times before it was eventually titled the "World Short Track Speed Skating Championships" in 1989; the championships are now held annually.
Short-track speed skating was introduced as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. It was upgraded to a full Olympic sport in 1992 and has been part of the Winter Olympics ever since. There were only four short-track events in the 1992 Winter Games, but the program was expanded to include six events in 1994 and 1998, and eight events in the 2002 Winter Games. The events are the same for both men and women: 500 meters, 1000 meters, 1500 meters, plus the relay event (5000 meters for men, 3000 meters for women). Since the 2018–19 World Cup season, a 2000-meter mixed-team relay was added, and debuted in the 2022 Winter Olympics. A 3,000-meter super-final event is included in the European Championships, but this is not currently part of the Olympic short-track program.
Rules Skaters who commit one of the following offenses risk immediate disqualification from a race and having their times rendered invalid and being suspended from playing for a short time. Impeding: Intentionally pushing, blocking, tripping or otherwise causing an impediment for another skater Off track: Skating outside or inside the designated track Assistance: Giving physical assistance to another skater. For example: pushing a teammate from behind for an extra boost, or allowing a teammate to lean on another for stability in corners. Shooting the line or Kicking out: Driving the foot in lead ahead to reach the finish faster, resulting in the lead foot lifting off the ice and creating a dangerous situation for others Unsportsmanlike conduct: Acting in a manner not befitting an athlete or a role model. Including cursing at a competitor, kicking your feet, striking other skaters or officials, etc. Equipment: Not wearing the proper safety equipment, losing equipment during the race, or exposure of skin not on face or neck. False Start: Leaving before firing of the starter's pistol. The updated 2023 ISU regulations state that after the first false start, the offender would have to leave. Did not finish: Usually due to a fall, the skater did not finish the race. Did not skate: The skater did not go to the starting line. Finish not timed: The skater's finishing time was not recorded, usually when a skater takes too long to finish the race.
In relay races, each team has four skaters, who can take turns freely by tagging or pushing. A skater may be relayed at any time except during the last two laps. Usually, the outgoing skater pushes the incoming skater to help the teammate to gain speed. If a team member falls, the next person needs to be tagged. A relay team would be penalized if they committed the following:
Not abiding by previous rules that applied to individual skaters Not receiving a tag from a teammate Exchanging after the center red line when there are three laps to go
World records
Men Distance Athlete Nation City Date Record time Ref500 m Wu Dajing Salt Lake City, United States 11 November 2018 39.505 1000 m Hwang Dae-heon Salt Lake City, United States 12 November 2016 1:20.875 1500 m Sjinkie Knegt Salt Lake City, United States 13 November 2016 2:07.943 3000 m Noh Jin-kyu Warsaw, Poland 19 March 2011 4:31.891 5000 mrelay Csaba BurjánCole KruegerShaoang LiuShaolin Sándor Liu Calgary, Canada 4 November 2018 6:28.625
Women Distance Athlete Nation City Date Record time Ref500 m Xandra Velzeboer Milan, Italy 12 February 2026 41.399 1000 m Suzanne Schulting Salt Lake City, United States 4 November 2022 1:25.958 1500 m Choi Min-jeong Salt Lake City, United States 12 November 2016 2:14.354 3000 m Jung Eun-ju Harbin, China 15 March 2008 4:46.983 3000 mrelay Selma PoutsmaSuzanne SchultingYara van KerkhofXandra Velzeboer Beijing, China 23 October 2021 4:02.809
Mixed Distance Athlete Nation City Date Record time Ref2000 mrelay Teun BoerJens van `t WoutXandra VelzeboerMichelle Velzeboer Beijing, China 14 March 2025 2:35.339
Notable skaters The following is the list of athletes who are Individual gold medalist at the Olympic Winter Games or Overall World Champion and have won Olympic Winter Games or Overall World Championships at least three times.
Men AthleteNationBornOlympicsWorld Championships (overall)Olympics + World Championships (overall)World Championships(distances, relay, team)TotalTotalTotalTotalTotalTotalAhn Hyun-Soo(Viktor Ahn) 19856028610712121522136413413956Marc Gagnon 197530254217723121594282211740Charles Hamelin 198441051337543121215103716191348Kim Ki-hoon 19673003121442172+1+2+5+6+3+3+12+Apolo Anton Ohno 19822248121434512856191191131Lee Ho-Suk 1986140522043609854171111426Kim Dong-Sung 1980110220133115107320138425Shaoang Liu 1998202410013025152845413
Women AthleteNationBornOlympics World Championships (overall)Olympics + World Championships (overall)World Championships(distances, relay, team)TotalTotalTotalTotalTotalTotalYang Yang (A) 1976221561078311226125433415655Choi Min-jeong 199843074105840121761242510136Wang Meng 1985411633067411218103322514443Chun Lee-kyung 1976401532057211010113241713434Sylvie Daigle 1962110252186311022+8+?31+28+11+1+40+Jin Sun-yu 1988300330036006103114163120Suzanne Schulting19973126200251285128102315Shim Suk-Hee 19973115113542412114116156526Nathalie Lambert 1962120332274421014+3+2+19+18+7+4+29+Choi Eun-kyung 1984220421034307123318166325Arianna Fontana 1990365140134378181610174131835Park Seung-hi 199220351203323884113116421Zhou Yang 19913003011231155441385518
See also Short-track speed skating at the Winter Olympics List of short-track speed skaters
References
External links
IOC – Short-track speed skating ISU – Short-track speed skating Speed Skating Canada US Speed Skating Italian short-track speed skating Australian Ice Racing