SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING

In short track speed skating, athletes compete not against the clock, but against each other. This introduces the elements of strategy, bravery and skill needed for racing.


History
Origins of North American origin
Short track (or indoor) speed skating began in Canada and the United States, and between 1905 and 1906, mass start competitions were held on oval tracks. The lack of 400m long tracks has led many North American skaters to practice on ice rinks. However, practicing on smaller tracks brought new challenges such as tighter turns and shorter straight courses, which led to other techniques to win on shorter tracks. These countries began to compete with each other every year. The sport's rise in popularity was partly attributed to North American racing rules that introduced "pack" style racing. The organizers of the 1932 Lake Placid Games used it to agree to follow these rules in the program's speed skating events with the consent of the International Skating Union (ISU).

International recognition
Countries such as Britain, Australia, Belgium, France, and Japan deserve a lot of credit for the development of the sport because it participated in international open competitions before it was recognized by the International Skating Union. In 1967, the ISU declared short track speed skating an official sport, but no international competitions were held until 1976. During this time, countries continued to compete among themselves.  스포츠토토

A Preview Of The 2023 World Short Track Championships: The Full Schedule And How To Watch Live
Choi Min-jung and Park Ji-won will lead the country's responsibility at the International Skating Union (ISU) World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul from March 10 to 12. The exhibition will include global stars such as Dutch sensation Susan Schulting and Canada's Courtney Sarot.

When and where will the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships be held?
South Korea, one of the leading countries in the sport, will finally host the event, which was scheduled to take place in March 2020. The event has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the fourth time Korea has hosted the best short track event since 2001, 2008, and 2016.

There are 500m, 1000m, 1500m and 3000m relay events in the women's race, while men have 500m, 1000m, 1500m and 5000m relay events.

How to play
Short track competitions are held in groups of 4 to 8 participants at a time. Athletes compete individually or as a team of four. All skaters on each team must go around at least one lap with tags attached, and one final exchange is allowed in the last three laps.

Scoring
Scoring in short track is based on the skater's position in a series of rounds of races. In non-Olympic ISU-based events such as the World Cup, the scoring system scores the top eight athletes throughout the round, with the first place receiving the most points and the eighth place receiving the least.

Equipment
For short track, the equipment required is speed skating, spandex skin suits, protective helmets, specific anti-cut skate gloves, knee and shin guards (suit worn), neck guards and ankle guards.

Benefits
Short track not only improves muscle strength, balance, and coordination, but also provides benefits for both cardiovascular and cardio. Today, the sport can be enjoyed year-round with indoor skating facilities all over the world.

Trivia
The fastest short track speed skating 500 m (female) is 41.416 seconds achieved by Sandra Belzeboer (Netherlands) at the ISU Short Track World Cup event at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. November 4, 2022.

The men's fastest 10,000 m speed skating is 12 minutes 30.74 seconds achieved by Niels van der Poel of Sweden at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China, on February 11, 2022.