Short track speed skating (also Shorttrack speedskating) 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 circumference of 111,12 m. The rink itself is 60 m by 30 m, which is the same size as an international-sized hockey rink. Outdoor ice skating in Austria Ice skating is travelling on ice with skates, narrow (and sometimes parabolic) blade-like devices moulded into special boots (or, more primitively, without boots, tied to regular footwear). ... Short track speed skaters racing through a curve. ... A hockey rink is an ice rink specifically designed for the game of ice hockey. ...

History

Short track speed skating originates in the speed skating events held with mass starts. This form of speed skating was mainly practiced in the United States and Canada, as opposed to the international form, where skaters skated in pairs. At the 1932 Winter Olympics, speed skating events were conducted in the mass start form. Competitions in North America were also held indoors, for example in Madison Square Garden, New York, and therefore on shorter tracks than was usual for outdoor skating. Image File history File links Saguenay_500m. ... Image File history File links Saguenay_500m. ... The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were held in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ... NY redirects here. ...

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 also received that status. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. ... The World Short Track Speed Skating Championships are a professional short track speed skating event and held once a year in a different country. ...

At the 1988 Winter Olympics, held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, short track was a demonstration sport. It was upgraded to a full Olympic sport in 1992 and has been part of the Winter Olympics since. The programme was expanded from 4 in 1992 to 8 in 2002. The events are the same for both men and women: 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and the relay (5000 m (men)/3000 m (women)). The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and opened by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. The Olympics were highly successful financially as they brought in million-dollar profits. ... Calgary is the largest city in the province of Alberta, Canada. ... Motto: Fortis et liber (Latin: Strong and free) Official languages English (see below) Flower   Wild rose Tree Lodgepole Pine Bird Great Horned Owl Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 28 6 Area Total  - Land  - Water  (% of total...

Canada and South Korea have long been the dominant countries in the sport, but currently the sport is also highly popular in many other Asian countries, notably The People's Republic of China. With smaller ice tracks and shorter, often spectacular competitions, short track speed skating has grown more popular than the older long track in many countries. In the 2006 Olympics, Republic of Korea won the most medals in short track speed skating. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... In the technical terminology of political science the PRC was a communist state for much of the 20th century, and is still considered a communist state by many, though not all, political scientists. ...

Races

Short track speed skating races at the international level at contested in four individual distances and one relay distance. Both men and women compete individually in 500 m, 1000m, and 1500m events. For the men, teams of four skaters complete the 5000m relay. Teams of four women complete 3000m for the women's relay. The distances contested at the Olympic games are the same. The 500m race is four and a half laps, the 1000m is 9 laps and so on. Since the corners are so tight in short track speed skating it is impossible for skaters to skate the exact track. It is estimated that elite skaters skate about 116 to 120 meters every lap, accounting for some of the discrepancy between short track and long track world records.

Unlike long track speed skating, little emphasis is put on time. Finishing position in a race is all that matters. Since there are only four to six skaters to a race, many heats are often needed to eliminate the weaker competitors before quarterfinals, semifinals and a final can take place. Only the top two or three skaters from one round will make it into the next. This leads to pack strategies not seen in long track speed skating. Often, when skaters are of similar caliber, it is the one who best executes his strategy who wins. This pack skating can also lead to contact between skaters, and while some is permissible, there are strict guidelines about what is allowed and what is not. There are several referees to each race who will disqualify a skater if they deem that he or she has impeded another, or made illegal contact with another skater.

International Races

• European Short Track Speed Skating Championships
• World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships
• Short Track Speed Skating World Cup
• World Short Track Speed Skating Championships
• World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships
• Short track speed skating at the Winter Olympics

The World Short Track Speed Skating Championships are a professional short track speed skating event and held once a year in a different country. ... Short track speed skating has been contested at the Winter Olympics since the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France. ...

Rules

There are several actions that will result in skaters being disqualified (DQ) from a race, and having their time rendered invalid.

• Impeding (DQI): Pushing, blocking, or otherwise causing an impediment for another skater
• Off track (DQO): Skating inside the designated track
• Cross-tracking (DQX): Deliberately cutting in front of a competitor who is attempting to pass
• Team skating(?): Conspiring with members from the same country or other individual skaters to determine the race result
• Assistance (?): Giving physical assistance to another skater
• Shooting the line or Kicking out (DQK): Driving the foot in lead ahead to reach the finish faster, resulting in the rear foot lifting off the ice and creating a dangerous situation for others
• Unsportsmanlike conduct (DQU): Acting in a manner not benefiting an athlete or a role model. Including cursing at a competitor, kicking your feet, striking other skaters or officials, etc. This disqualification is considered by coaches and skaters as the worst thing to be disqualified for.
• Equipment (DQE): Not wearing the proper safety equipment, losing equipment during the race, or exposure of skin not on face or neck.
• False Start (DQS): Starting before the firing of the starter's pistol twice.
• Did not finish (DNF): Usually due to injury, the skater did not finish the race
• Did not skate (DNS): The skater did not go to the starting line.

Classes

In Canada, short track competitions are held either as all-points meets, where skaters are seeded based only on their times for a standard distance (usually the 500m), or an age class, where people are seeded by age and gender. All-points meets allow racing against skaters of all ages and genders, with the exception of the Masters age class (30+). All-points meets are usually held at the local level in only certain provinces. Age class meets are utilized at the provincial and national levels. Age classes are :

• Peewee: 6-7
• Bantam: 8-9
• Midget: 10-11
• Juvenile: 12-13
• Junior: 14-15
• Intermediate: 16-17
• Senior: 18-29
• Master1: 30-39
• Master2: 40-49
• Master3: 50-59
• Master4: 60+

Ages are determined as of June 30th prior to competition. At international and Olympic competitions, skaters are placed by gender only.

Notable skaters

Males

• Ahn Hyun Soo
• Steven Bradbury
• Marc Gagnon
• Jonathan Guilmette
• Charles Hamelin
• Toshinobu Kawai
• Kim Dong-Sung
• Kim Ki-hoon
• Lee Ho-Suk
• Apolo Anton Ohno
• Wilf O'Reilly
• Mathieu Turcotte

Ahn Hyun Soo (안현수, born November 23, 1985 in Seoul) is a Short track speed skating athlete from South Korea. ... Steven Bradbury (born October 14, 1973 in Camden, Sydney) is a former Australian short track speed skater. ... Marc Gagnon (born May 24, 1975 in Chicoutimi, Quebec) is a Canadian short track speed skater. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ... Charles Hamelin (born on April 14, 1984 in Lévis, Quebec) is a Canadian short track speed skater from Saint-Julie, Quebec currently residing in Montreal. ... Toshinobu Kawai (born 19 December 1967) is a Japanese short track speed skater, who won a bronze medal in the 5000 m relay at the 1992 Winter Olympics together with teammates Yuichi Akasaka, Tatsuyoshi Ishihara and Tsutomu Kawasaki. ... Kim Dong-Sung (born 9 February 1980) is a South Korean short track speed skater, who won two medals at the 1998 Winter Olympics. ... Kim Ki-hoon is the first gold medalist in Winter Olympics for Korea. ... Lee Ho-Suk (born June 25, 1986) is a South Korean short track speedskater who earned two individual silver medals in the 1000 and 1500 meters behind his teammate, Ahn Hyun Soo at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. ... Apolo Anton Ohno (born on May 22, 1982 in Seattle, Washington) is an American short track speed skating competitor and a two-time gold medalist in the Winter Olympics. ... Wilf OReilly was the first successful black speed skater and won two golds in Albertville in 1992 but was denied full Olympic acclamation because short-track was just a demonstration event that year. ... Mathieu Turcotte (born on February 8, 1977 in Sherbrooke, Quebec) is a Canadian athlete. ...

Females

• Chun Lee-kyung
• Sylvie Daigle
• Jin Sun-Yu
• Alanna Kraus
• Nathalie Lambert
• Evgenia Radanova
• Kalyna Roberge
• Tania Vicent
• Wang Meng
• Yang Yang (A)
• Yang Yang (S)

Chun Lee-Kyung is a Korean short track speed skater, who dominated womens short track for much of 1990s. ... Sylvie Daigle is a Canadian speed skater (Dec 1 1962 - ) Born in Sherbrooke, Quebec. ... Jin Sun-Yu (진선유, born December 17, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea) is a Korean short-track speed skater. ... Alanna Kraus (born June 30, 1977 in Abbotsford, British Columbia) is a Canadian short track speed skater. ... Nathalie Lambert is a former French-Canadian speed skater, achieving medals in the Olympic Games in 1992 and 1994, after which she retired due to a broken ankle. ... Evgenia Radanova (Евгения Раданова, nicknamed Jeni, born on 4 November 1977) is a Bulgarian female sportsperson that has participated in both summer and winter Olympic games. ... Kalyna Roberge (born October 1, 1986 in Sainte-Etienne-de-Lauzon, Quebec) is a Canadian short track speed skater. ... Tania Vicent (born January 13, 1976 in Laval, Quebec) is a Canadian short track speed skater, who competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics. ... Wang Meng (born April 10, 1985) is a Chinese short track speed skater. ... Yang Yang (A) (Chinese: 楊揚; born 24 August 1976 in Harbin, China) is an Olympic short track speed skater. ... Yang Yang (S) (Chinese: 楊陽; born 14 September 1977) is a Chinese Olympic speed skater. ...

External links

• World Short Track
• International Skating Union
• Packstyle.de
• short track france
• Speed Skate Canada
• US Speed Skating
• Speed-Skating.Net - Races, Results, News, Tech, etc. (FR, ENG, DUT)