Short Track Speed Skating

In the United States and Canada, speed skating was not conducted in time-trial fashion, but in small pack races. This format was used at the 1932 Olympic Winter Games, but never used again outdoors at the Olympics. However races in indoor halls, frequently also used for ice hockey and figure skating, became increasingly popular in North America, and in 1967 the International Skating Union (ISU) recognized short track skating as a separate sport. Since 1981, World Championships have been held, and in 1988 the sport was demonstrated at the Winter Olympics in Calgary.

It became a full medal sport in 1992, with an individual event and a relay event for both men and women. This program has gradually been expanded to eight events. Both men and women contest 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m individually, as well as a relay event (3,000 m for women, 5,000 m for men).

While Europeans have dominated traditional speed skating, North American and Asian countries have taken the bulk of Olympic medals in this sport. In particular, South Korea has excelled, having won 19 gold medals out of 40 events contested. However, the most decorated short-track skaters are not Korean: China’s Wang Meng has won four golds, one silver and one bronze, while Apolo Anton Ohno of the United States has earned a total of eight medals.