01  How Fast Can Short Track Speed Skaters Go?

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Up to 48kph!  Some of the top athletes can achieve speeds of up to 48kph (almost 30mph) in team relay races and individually around 45-46 kph (28-28.5mph) in a 500m race. Quite incredible considering the track is only 111.12m oval with tight bends!!  

 

 

 

 02  Isn't Short Track Speed Skating a time Trial?

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Not to be confused with Long Track Speed Skating, which races on a 400m sized oval track and is the athlete against the clock, Short Track Speed Skating is raced in a competitive elimination format...where athletes have to qualify and progress to the next level in the competition for a particular distance......This is much the same as track & field athletes who have to progress through a rounds based system to eventually find the winner!  

 

 

 

 03  What are the Differences between Short Track and 'Long Track' Speed Skating?

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In 'Long Tack' Speed Skating, athletes race against the clock in a time trial format. There are no heats, semis or finals, just a single round where competitors attempt to set the best time. Two athletes compete at the same time but it doesn’t matter who finishes first - the only thing that matters are the times they set. Once every skater has completed their run, the one with the fastest time is declared the winner. The track is a 400m distance. Long and big!

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By comparison, Short Track sees athletes competing against each other over a series of rounds. In this case, position counts, as the fastest finishers progress to the later rounds. Usually, four to six athletes compete in each race, with heats followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

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Athletes wear helmets in short track, as the risk of falling is much higher than in speed skating. Strategy is key, particularly in the longer short track races, as athletes must decide whether to lead from the front to avoid the dangers of the pack, or stay behind and conserve energy.

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However, there is one 'Long Track' Speed Skating event where more than two athletes compete at the same time, and it is one of the most attractive, chaotic and challenging events on the Winter Olympic programme: the mass start.

 

 

 

 04  What are the Distances and the Number of Laps in Short Track?

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A lap (ie once around the oval circuit) in Short Track Speed Skating is 111.12m long.  

 

Race distances at senior level are: -

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• 500m Individual (4.5 laps of the track)

• 1000m Individual (9 laps of the track)

• 1500m Individual (13.5 laps of the track)

• 3000m Team Relay (27 laps of the track) *...and occasionally individually raced

• 5000m Team Relay (45 laps of the track)

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At a local and national level then there are some shorter distance races for more novice, junior, intermediate, or Masters skaters. These are: -

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• 222m Individual (2 laps of the track)

• 333m Individual (3 laps of the track)

• 777m Individual (3 laps of the track)

 

 

 05  Why do Skaters Touch the Ice on the Bends?

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When skaters, of all levels and abilities, go fast they tend to put their left hand / fingers on the ice around the tight bends.....This helps the skater to maintain balance whilst turning at high speed on the razor sharp and thin blades. If you look close you will also see special plastic based finger tips on the glove of the left hand....this helps decrease friction as skaters turn. Remember...No Coach Ever Said Too Low! 

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06  Do I have to Compete and Race in Short Track?

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Absolutely not! Whilst Short Track Speed Skating is an olympic sport, not everyone wants race and compete. It is a sport for everyone and a sport where you can just go to your local club and enjoy that magical feeling of speed skating....the gliding on the ice, the sense of just you and the ice, the thrill of wizzing around the bends. It is a both a recreational sport and a competitive racing sport.  

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07  Why are Short Track Speed Skating Blades so Specialised?

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With lots of tight turns, short-track athletes need specialised skating blades to maintain control of their trajectory.

 

For that reason, the skating blades are carefully tuned and configured.

 

With a width of just 2mm these razor sharp blades are 30 to 45cm in length and have both a 'bend' in the blade and a 'radius' to help short Track Speed Skaters to get around the tight turns with the best stability, speed and efficiency. 

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The actual radius of a short track speed skating blade is typically around 1.8 to 2.0 meters. The radius of a speed skating blade is the measure of the curvature of the blade, which is determined by the distance between the center of the circle that the blade traces when it is in use and the surface of the ice.

 

The radius of a speed skating blade is important because it affects the skater's ability to turn, accelerate, and maintain speed.

 

A blade with a smaller radius will allow the skater to turn more quickly and easily, but may be less stable and require more effort to maintain speed.

 

A blade with a larger radius will be more stable and easier to maintain speed on, but may be less maneuverable.

 

Speed skaters and their coaches carefully select the radius of their blades to optimize their performance for the specific conditions and requirements of their events.