View source for Short-track speed skating

{{Short description|Competitive skating on an ice hockey rink}}
{{Infobox sport
|name = Short-track speed skating
|image = Korea ShortTrack Ladies 3000m Gold Sochi 04.png
|imagesize = 300
|caption = 3000 meters short-track relay during the [[2014 Winter Olympics]]
|union = [[International Skating Union]]
|nickname = 
|first = 
|registered = 
|clubs = 
|contact = 
|team =
|mgender = Yes
|category = Separate competitions for male and female
|equipment = ice skates, helmet, gloves, suit, shin guards, neck guard, safety glasses
|venue =
|obsolete =
|olympic = 1988 (demonstration)<br/>1992–present
}}
[[File:2020-01-22 Short track speed skating at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics – Mixed NOC Team Relay (Martin Rulsch) 11.jpg|thumb|Preparation of the ice]]
[[File:2020-01-22 Short track speed skating at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics – Mixed NOC Team Relay (Martin Rulsch) 04.jpg|thumb|Placement of rubber cones]]
'''Short-track speed skating''' is a form of competitive [[ice skating|ice]] [[speed skating]]. In competitions, multiple skaters (typically between four and six) skate on an oval ice track with a length of {{convert|111.12|m|ft|2}}. The rink itself is {{convert|60|m|ft|2}} long by {{convert|30|m|ft|2}} 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 City|New York]]'s [[Madison Square Garden (1925)|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 Olympics|1992 Winter Games]], but the program was expanded to include six events in [[1994 Winter Olympics|1994]] and [[1998 Winter Olympics|1998]], and eight events in the [[2002 Winter Olympics|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 Short Track Speed Skating Championships|European Championships]], but this is not currently part of the Olympic short-track program.

==Rules==<!-- This section is linked from [[Apolo Anton Ohno]], so do not remove.-->
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.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.isu.org/short-track/rules/stk-regulations-rules/file|title=Special Regulations & Technical Rules Short Track Speed Skating 2021|publisher=International Skating Union |access-date=10 February 2022}}</ref>
*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

[[File:12-01-19-yog-020.jpg|thumb|Short-track at the [[2012 Winter Youth Olympics]], [[Innsbruck]]]]

==World records==

===Men===
{|class="wikitable"
! Distance !! Athlete !! Nation !! City !! Date !! Record time !! Ref<ref>{{cite web|title=Short Track Results – Current World Records|url=http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Records.aspx?evt=11212100000011|publisher=[[International Skating Union|ISU]]|access-date=4 February 2022|archive-date=20 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220152031/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Records.aspx?evt=11212100000011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!500 m
| [[Wu Dajing]] || {{CHN}} || [[Salt Lake City]], United States || 11 November 2018 ||39.505 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Results - Men's 500m Final A|url=https://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000059&gen=m&ref=19354&view=rou|website=shorttrack.sportresult.com|date=11 November 2018|access-date=12 November 2018|archive-date=24 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424115921/https://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000059&gen=m&ref=19354&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!1000 m
| [[Hwang Dae-heon]] || {{KOR}} || Salt Lake City, United States || 12 November 2016|| 1:20.875 || <ref>{{cite web|title=ISU World Cup 2016/2017 Salt Lake City – Men's 1000m Results|url=http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000036&gen=m&ref=17825&view=rou|website=shorttrack.sportresult.com|date=12 November 2016|access-date=12 November 2017|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114040423/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000036&gen=m&ref=17825&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!1500 m
| [[Sjinkie Knegt]] || {{NED}} || Salt Lake City, United States || 13 November 2016 || 2:07.943 || <ref>{{cite web|title=ISU World Cup 2016/2017 Salt Lake City – Men's 1500m Results|url=http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000036&gen=m&ref=17861&view=rou|website=shorttrack.sportresult.com|date=13 November 2016|access-date=12 November 2017|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114040536/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000036&gen=m&ref=17861&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!3000 m
| [[Noh Jin-kyu]] || {{KOR}} || [[Warsaw]], Poland || 19 March 2011 || 4:31.891 || <ref>{{cite web|title=2011 ISU World Team Championships – Men's 3000m Results|url=http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11210300000010&gen=m&ref=7835&view=rou|website=shorttrack.sportresult.com|date=19 March 2011|access-date=12 November 2017|archive-date=14 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114040351/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11210300000010&gen=m&ref=7835&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!5000 m<br>relay
| [[Csaba Burján]]<br>[[Cole Krueger]]<br>[[Shaoang Liu]]<br>[[Shaolin Sándor Liu]] || {{HUN}} || [[Calgary]], Canada || 4 November 2018 || 6:28.625 || <ref>{{cite web|title=ISU World Cup 2018/19 – Men's 5000m Relay Results|url=https://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000058&gen=m&ref=19234&view=rou|website=shorttrack.sportresult.com|date=4 November 2018|access-date=12 November 2018|archive-date=6 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106053254/https://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000058&gen=m&ref=19234&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|}

===Women===
{|class="wikitable"
! Distance !! Athlete !! Nation !! City !! Date !! Record time !! Ref
|-
!500 m
| [[Xandra Velzeboer]] || {{NED}} || [[Milan]], Italy || 12 February 2026 || 41.399 || <ref>{{cite web|title=Short Track Speed Skating – Women's 500m – Semifinals – Results|url=https://wmr-static-assets.scd.dgplatform.net/wmr/static/_PDF/OWG2026/STK/2026-02-12/STKW500M--------------SFNL--------__C73A_1.0.pdf|work=Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026|date=12 February 2022|access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref>
|-
!1000 m
| [[Suzanne Schulting]] || {{NED}} || [[Salt Lake City]], United States || 4 November 2022 || 1:25.958 || <ref>{{cite web|title=ISU World Cup 2022/2023 Salt Lake City - Women's 1000m Results|url=https://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000098&gen=w&ref=65817&view=rou|access-date=6 November 2022|publisher=[[International Skating Union|ISU]]}}</ref>
|-
!1500 m
| [[Choi Min-jeong]] || {{KOR}} || Salt Lake City, United States || 12 November 2016 || 2:14.354 || <ref>{{cite web|title=ISU World Cup 2012/2013 Salt Lake City - Women's 1500m Results|url=http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000036&gen=w&ref=17832&view=rou|access-date=20 February 2018|publisher=[[International Skating Union|ISU]]|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100313/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000036&gen=w&ref=17832&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!3000 m
| [[Jung Eun-ju]] || {{KOR}} || [[Harbin]], China || 15 March 2008 || 4:46.983 || <ref>{{cite web|title=2008 ISU World Team Championships, China - Women's 3000m Bracket #2 Results|url=http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11210100000011&gen=w&ref=3158&view=rou|access-date=20 February 2018|publisher=[[International Skating Union|ISU]]|archive-date=21 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221100852/http://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11210100000011&gen=w&ref=3158&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
!3000 m<br>relay
| [[Selma Poutsma]]<br>[[Suzanne Schulting]]<br>[[Yara van Kerkhof]]<br>[[Xandra Velzeboer]] || {{NED}} || Beijing, China || 23 October 2021 || 4:02.809 || <ref>{{cite web|title=ISU World Cup 2021/22 – Beijing (CHN) – Women – 3000 m Relay – Semifinals – Results|url=https://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000089&gen=w&ref=64956&view=rou|publisher=[[International Skating Union|ISU]]|access-date=4 February 2022|archive-date=30 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130215540/https://shorttrack.sportresult.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000089&gen=w&ref=64956&view=rou|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|}

===Mixed===
{|class="wikitable"
! Distance !! Athlete !! Nation !! City !! Date !! Record time !! Ref
|-
!2000 m<br>relay
| [[Teun Boer]]<br>[[Jens van 't Wout|Jens van `t Wout]]<br>[[Xandra Velzeboer]]<br>[[Michelle Velzeboer]] || {{NED}} || [[Beijing]], China || 14 March 2025 || 2:35.339 || <ref>{{Cite web |title=CNSG 2025 ISU World Short Track Championships |url=https://www.shorttrack.swisstiming.com/Results.aspx?evt=11213100000133&gen=x&ref=68797&view=rou |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=www.shorttrack.swisstiming.com}}</ref>
|}


==Notable skaters==
The following is the list of athletes who are [[List of Olympic medalists in short track speed skating|Individual gold medalist at the Olympic Winter Games]] or [[World Short Track Speed Skating Championships|Overall World Champion]] and have won [[List of Olympic medalists in short track speed skating|Olympic Winter Games]] or [[World Short Track Speed Skating Championships|Overall World Championships]] at least three times.

===Men===
{|class="wikitable" width=100% style="font-size:85%; text-align:center;"
|-text-align="center" bgcolor="#efefef"
!rowspan=2|Athlete
!rowspan=2|Nation
!rowspan=2|Born
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightblue"|Olympics
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightpink"|World Championships (overall)
!colspan=4; style="background-color:orange"|Olympics + <br>World Championships (overall)
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightgreen"|World Championships<br>(distances, relay, team)
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightgrey"|Total
|-
|'''[[File:Gold medal olympic.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Silver medal olympic.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronze medal olympic.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gold medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Silver medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronze medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gouden medaille.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Zilveren medaille.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronzen medaille.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gold medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Silver medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronze medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gouden medaille.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Zilveren medaille.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronzen medaille.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|-
|align=left|[[Ahn Hyun-Soo]]<br/>(Viktor Ahn)
|align=left|{{KOR}}<br/>{{RUS}} ||1985||'''6'''||0||2||8||'''6'''||1||0||7
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''12'''||1||2||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''15'''||'''22'''||13||6||41||'''34'''||13||9||56
|-
|align=left|[[Marc Gagnon]]
|align=left|{{CAN}} ||1975||'''3'''||0||2||5||'''4'''||2||1||7
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''7'''||2||3||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''12'''||'''15'''||9||4||28||'''22'''||11||7||40
|-
|align=left|[[Charles Hamelin]]
|align=left|{{CAN}} ||1984||'''4'''||1||0||5||'''1'''||3||3||7
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''5'''||4||3||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''12'''||'''12'''||15||10||37||'''16'''||19||13||48
|-
|align=left|[[Kim Ki-hoon]]
|align=left|{{KOR}} ||1967||'''3'''||0||0||3||'''1'''||2||1||4
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''4'''||2||1||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''7'''||'''2+'''||1+||2+||5+||'''6+'''||3+||3+||12+
|-
|align=left|[[Apolo Anton Ohno]]
|align=left|{{USA}} ||1982||'''2'''||2||4||8||'''1'''||2||1||4
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''3'''||4||5||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''12'''||'''8'''||5||6||19||'''11'''||9||11||31
|-
|align=left|[[Lee Ho-Suk]]
|align=left|{{KOR}} ||1986||'''1'''||4||0||5||'''2'''||2||0||4
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''3'''||6||0||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''9'''||'''8'''||5||4||17||'''11'''||11||4||26
|-
|align=left|[[Kim Dong-Sung]]
|align=left|{{KOR}} ||1980||'''1'''||1||0||2||'''2'''||0||1||3
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''3'''||1||1||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''5'''||'''10'''||7||3|||20||'''13'''||8||4||25
|-
|align=left|[[Shaoang Liu]]
|align=left|{{CHN}} ||1998||'''2'''||0||2||4||'''1'''||0||0||1
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''3'''||0||2||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''5'''||'''1'''||5||2|||8||'''4'''||5||4||13
|}

===Women===
{|class="wikitable" width=100% style="font-size:85%; text-align:center;"
|-text-align="center" bgcolor="#efefef"
!rowspan=2|Athlete
!rowspan=2|Nation
!rowspan=2|Born
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightblue"|Olympics 
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightpink"|World Championships (overall)
!colspan=4; style="background-color:orange"|Olympics + <br>World Championships (overall)
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightgreen"|World Championships<br>(distances, relay, team)
!colspan=4; style="background-color:lightgrey"|Total
|-
|'''[[File:Gold medal olympic.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Silver medal olympic.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronze medal olympic.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gold medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Silver medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronze medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gouden medaille.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Zilveren medaille.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronzen medaille.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gold medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Silver medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronze medal world centered-2.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|'''[[File:Gouden medaille.svg|20px]]'''
|[[File:Zilveren medaille.svg|20px]]
|[[File:Bronzen medaille.svg|20px]]
|'''Total'''
|-
|align=left|[[Yang Yang (b. 1976)|Yang Yang (A)]]
|align=left|{{CHN}} ||1976||'''2'''||2||1||5||'''6'''||1||0||7
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''8'''||3||1||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''12'''||'''26'''||12||5||43||'''34'''||15||6||55
|-
| align="left" |[[Choi Min-jeong]]
| align="left" |{{KOR}} ||1998||'''4'''||3||0||7||'''4'''||1||0||5
| style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''8'''||4||0|| style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''12'''||'''19'''||7||1||27||'''31'''||11||1||45
|-
|align=left|[[Wang Meng (speed skater)|Wang Meng]]
|align=left|{{CHN}} ||1985||'''4'''||1||1||6||'''3'''||3||0||6
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''7'''||4||1||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''12'''||'''18'''||11||3||32||'''25'''||15||4||44
|-
|align=left|[[Chun Lee-kyung]]
|align=left|{{KOR}} ||1976||'''4'''||0||1||5||'''3'''||2||0||5
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''7'''||2||1||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''10'''||'''10'''||11||3||24||'''17'''||13||4||34
|-
|align=left|[[Sylvie Daigle]]
|align=left|{{CAN}} ||1962||'''1'''||1||0||2||'''5'''||2||1||8
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''6'''||3||1||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''10'''||'''22+'''||8+||?||31+||'''28+'''||11+||1+||40+
|-
|align=left|[[Jin Sun-yu]]
|align=left|{{KOR}} ||1988||'''3'''||0||0||3||'''3'''||0||0||3
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''6'''||0||0||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''6'''||'''10'''||3||1||14||'''16'''||3||1||20
|-
|align=left|[[Suzanne Schulting]]
|align=left|{{NED}}||1997||'''3'''||1||2||6||'''2'''||0||0||2
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''5'''||1||2||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''8'''||'''5'''||1||2||8||'''10'''||2||3||15
|-
|align=left|[[Nathalie Lambert]]
|align=left|{{CAN}} ||1962||'''1'''||2||0||3||'''3'''||2||2||7
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''4'''||4||2||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''10'''||'''14+'''||3+||2+||19+||'''18+'''||7+||4+||29+
|-
|align=left|[[Choi Eun-kyung]]
|align=left|{{KOR}} ||1984||'''2'''||2||0||4||'''2'''||1||0||3
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''4'''||3||0||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''7'''||'''12'''||3||3||18||'''16'''||6||3||25
|-
| align="left" |[[Shim Suk-Hee]]
| align="left" |{{KOR}} ||1997||'''2'''||1||1||4||'''1'''||1||3||5
| style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''3'''||2||4|| style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''9'''||'''11'''||4||1||16||'''14'''||6||5||25
|-
|align=left|[[Park Seung-hi]]
|align=left|{{KOR}} ||1992||'''2'''||0||3||5||'''1'''||2||0||3
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''3'''||2||3||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''8'''||'''8'''||4||1||13||'''11'''||6||4||21
|-
|align=left|[[Zhou Yang (speed skater)|Zhou Yang]]
|align=left|{{CHN}} ||1991||'''3'''||0||0||3||'''0'''||1||1||2
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''3'''||1||1||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''5'''||'''5'''||4||4||13||'''8'''||5||5||18
|-
|align=left|[[Arianna Fontana]]
|align=left|{{ITA}} ||1990||'''2'''||4||5||11||'''0'''||1||3||4
|style="background-color:#FFD700" |'''2'''||5||8||style="background-color:#00f0D0" |'''15'''||'''1'''||5||7||13||'''3'''||12||21||36
|-
|}

==See also==
* [[Short-track speed skating at the Winter Olympics]]
* [[List of speed skaters#Short-track|List of short-track speed skaters]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Short track speed skating}}
* [https://www.olympic.org/short-track-speed-skating IOC – Short-track speed skating]
* [https://www.isu.org/short-track ISU – Short-track speed skating]
* [http://www.speedskating.ca/ Speed Skating Canada]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140228080832/http://www.teamusa.org/US-Speedskating US Speed Skating]
* [https://www.fisg.it Italian short-track speed skating]
* [http://www.australianiceracing.org/ Australian Ice Racing]

{{Winter Olympic sports}}
{{Ice}}

[[Category:Short-track speed skating| ]]
[[Category:Speed skating|*]]
[[Category:Winter Olympic sports]]
[[Category:Individual sports]]
[[Category:Ice skating]]
[[Category:Ice skating sports]]