Short Track Speed Skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics

For the first time since 2002, the Olympic program of short-track speed skating was expanded. Answering to the IOC’s call for more mixed events, short-track introduced the mixed relay. Having already been pioneered at the Winter YOG since 2012, the event gained World Cup status in the 2018/19 season. Despite the new event, the total number of competitors for the sport was slightly reduced, from 120 in PyeongChang to 112 in Beijing.

All competitions were held at the Capital Indoor Stadium, which had hosted the 2008 Olympic volleyball events and was also used for the figure skating competitions at the 2022 Games.

Two skaters claimed two gold medals, home favorite Ren Ziwei and Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands. The latter earned four medals in total, the most of any short-track skater in Beijing, while four others won three medals each. Schulting became the first female short-track speedskater to win four medals at a single Olympic Winter Games.

Arianna Fontana’s three 2022 medals brought her Olympic total to 11, the most of any short-tracker in history, surpassing Viktor An and Apolo Anton Ohno’s total of eight. An still holds the record for most golds, though, with six. Of note, all individual women’s titles went to the same skaters as in 2018.

As in PyeongChang, six different NOCs won a gold medal, with no nation dominating. Republic of Korea did well with five medals, but four other countries earned four. Belgium joined the nations having medaled in the sport, earning its first ever bronze in the sport through Hanne Desmet. Two countries made their Olympic début in the sport, Croatia – through Valentina Aščić – and Turkey, which saw Furkan Akar score a surprising sixth place in the 1,000 m.