Short Track Speed Skating

Offering some of the most exciting moments in winter sports racing, Short Track Speed Skating tests the speed, technical skating ability, and aggressiveness of the competitors. Athletes race in a tight pack, at speeds up to 25mph, with the winners deploying strategies to take an early lead and leaning into corners to maintain their position.

Buy Tickets Venue Info
In this event, four skaters complete 4.5 laps, at speeds up to 25mph, and “lean” into the corners to counter the 3.0 G-force. Racers attempt to get out in front at the start and maintain their position.

500m

This is a race of four to five skaters, for nine laps. Racers attempt to get into a strategic position for the final sprint.

1000m

With 13.5 laps, this longer race is known as the “wait and see” event. Skaters start out extremely slow to save their energy for a thrilling final sprint, with typically five laps remaining.

1500m

In this event, men skate a 5000m relay and the women complete a 3000m relay. Four teams of four skaters will “hand off” to a teammate with a push coming out of a turn. The top two skaters of each race qualify for the finals.

Team Relay

Two females will skate the first rounds of this race, and then two men skate the next two rounds. Skaters alternate this pattern until the end of the race.

Mixed Team Relay

About The Venue

Skaters move around the Olympic Speed Skating Oval

Olympic Speed Skating Oval

The James B. Sheffield Olympic Skating Rink is an artificial, outdoor ice track used for speed skating. The arena hosted the speed skating events at both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The Oval is also the site where Eric Heiden won an unprecedented five individual Olympic gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games while also setting four Olympic records.

Directions