Just discovered Short Track Speed Skating? You’re in for one of the most thrilling rides in winter sport. Blistering speed, split-second strategy, dramatic crashes—Short Track has it all. Whether you're tuning in for the first time or just want to understand what’s going on, here are five things every new fan should know.

ISU Short Track Championships in Beijing on March 16, 2025 ©Getty Images

1. How the Racing Works

Let’s start with the basics. In Short Track, skaters line up on a tight, 111.12m oval track and race counter-clockwise to the finish line. It’s simple: first across the line wins—unless they’ve broken the rules.

There are three individual race distances:

• 500m – a pure sprint from start to finish
• 1000m – fast and tactical
• 1500m – longer and more strategic

Racers compete in heats and rounds to earn a place in the final, which usually features 4–7 skaters on the line. The chaos factor? It’s real. With everyone racing together on the same narrow track, contact happens—and penalties are part of the game.

Men’s 5000m relay event during the ISU Short Track Championships in Beijing on March 16, 2025 ©Getty Images

Diede Van Oorschot and Zoe Deltrap (NED), Xinran Wang and Yize Zang (CHN), Arianna Sighel and Gloria Ioriatti (ITA) and Kim Boutin and Courtney Sarault (CAN) in the Women’s 3000m Relay Final at at the ISU Short Track World Tour Milan 2025 ©ISU

There are also three relay events:

• Women’s 3000m
• Men’s 5000m
• Mixed 2000m – with two men and two women per team

In relays, skaters tag each other with a push—literally launching their teammates forward to keep the momentum flying.

If a skater makes an illegal move—like cutting in too sharply, blocking, or causing a crash—they can be disqualified. And if someone’s taken out unfairly? They might be “advanced” to the next round. It’s all part of the game.

Mixed Team Relay 2000m Finals during the ISU Short Track World Tour Milan 2025 ©ISU

2. Speed, Strategy and Style

Short Track is a sport of both instinct and intellect. There’s no single way to win—and that’s what makes it so addictive to watch.

Xandra Velzeboer (NED) after the Women’s 500m Final at the ISU Short Track World Tour Milan 2025 ©ISU

In the 500m, most racers aim to grab the lead in the opening corner and go full throttle to the end. It’s high-risk, high-speed, and high-reward. Watch world record holder Xandra Velzeboer (NED)—once she hits top gear, it’s game over.

Longer races are more tactical. Some skaters hang back, waiting for just the right moment to surge. Others take control from the front to stay out of trouble. South Korea’s Choi Minjeong, a multiple Olympic gold medalist, is a master of timing her move.

Choi Minjeong (KOR) at the ISU Short Track Championships in Beijing on March 16, 2025

Passing is its own art form. You might see an “inside pass” where a skater dives through on a tight corner, or an “outside pass” where they go wide and power around. Either way, it takes guts and precision.

Some stars, like Jens van ’t Wout (NED), are known for dramatic late attacks. Others—like China’s Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang—are experts at staying in front and shutting down overtaking lines. Offence, defense, and nerves of steel—all in a single race.

And occasionally, someone goes for broke from the gun, trying to lap the field. It usually doesn’t work. But when it does, it’s unforgettable.

3. Expect the Unexpected

Kim Boutin (CAN) in the Women’s 500M Quarterfinals during the ISU Short Track Championships in Beijing, 2025 ©Getty Images

What makes Short Track so gripping? Anything can happen.

In most sports, the best athlete usually wins. But in Short Track, even the fastest skater can be taken out by someone else’s mistake. Crashes, pile-ups, surprise penalties—they’re all part of the show.

Steven Bradbury (AUZ) at the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City 2002

The most famous example? Steven Bradbury (AUS) at the 2002 Olympics. He was last in the final until every other skater crashed in the final corner. He crossed the line in disbelief—and into history.

For skaters, the unpredictability can be brutal. But for fans? It’s what makes the sport so compelling. You never quite know what’s coming next.

As they say: That’s Short Track.

4. The Big Competitions

The elite Short Track season runs on the ISU World Cup circuit—known as the Short Track World Tour. It features six events per year (four in Olympic seasons), held across North America, Asia, and Europe.

William Dandjinou (CAN) and Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA) 2025 Crystal Globe Winners at the at the ISU Short Track World Tour Milan 2025 ©ISU

Skaters compete for medals at each event while earning points toward the ISU Crystal Globe, awarded to the top overall male and female skater of the season. The current champions? William Dandjinou (CAN) and Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA).

There’s also a team competition, where countries collect points toward the ISU Team Crystal Globe. Canada are the reigning champions.

Team Cananda winning the team Crystal Globe at the at the ISU Short Track World Tour Milan 2025 ©ISU

Beyond the World Tour, there are three major tournaments:

• European Championships
• Four Continents Championships (for non-European nations)
• World Championships, the season’s grand finale

But the ultimate prize? Olympic gold. Every four years, Short Track takes center stage at the Winter Games—and the battles are as fierce as they come.

5. Nations, Names and Rivalries

Short Track’s global, but a few countries dominate the top of the podium.

The Republic of Korea leads the all-time Olympic medal table with 53 medals—26 of them gold. Short Track is a national obsession there, and competition just to make the team is intense.

Jens van ’t Wout (NED) at the ISU Short Track World Tour Milan 2025 ©ISU

China and Canada follow closely in medal count, with the USA and Italy also boasting strong traditions. In recent years, the Netherlands have emerged as serious contenders, thanks to their deep bench of rising stars.

Park Ji-won (KOR) winning the Mixed Team Relay Final A during the ISU Short Track World Tour Seoul (KOR) 2024

Korea versus China is always a highlight—but lately, it’s Korea and Canada trading blows for dominance, with Dutch racers right in the mix.

This season, keep your eyes on:

• William Dandjinou (CAN), Steven Dubois (CAN), Jens van ’t Wout (NED) and Park Ji Won (KOR) on the men’s side
• Choi Minjeong (KOR), Kim Gilli (KOR), Hanne Desmet (BEL), Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA), and Xandra Velzeboer (NED) in a stacked women’s field

With the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics on the horizon, every race is building toward something bigger.

Hanne Desmet (BEL) leading the Women’s 1500m final at The Odido Cup Short Track World Tour in Tilburg (NED) 2025

Ready to Dive In?

Short Track is a sport of speed, skill, and stories—where victory can come from brilliance, bravery, or just sheer luck. Whether you’re watching your first race or following the season all the way to the World Championships, there’s always drama waiting on the ice.

Welcome to the chaos. Welcome to Short Track.

William Dandjinou (CAN) ISU Short Track World Tour #6 Milan (ITA) 2025, ©ISU