Sport of the Week – Short Track and Speed Skating (Winter Olympics)

What’s the difference between a short track and “long-track” speed skating? Well, you’ll have to […]

What’s the difference between a short track and “long-track” speed skating? Well, you’ll have to listen to the above to find out or read the notes below. It’s another Monday, so we’re going over another sport and with the Winter Olympics starting one month from today, we’re extremely excited (John is at least). Check back in next Monday for more history and event rundown of a Winter Olympic sport.

We’re somewhat new to these sports, so if we get something wrong, feel free to let us know via the contact page or by calling 614-398-3243 and leaving a brief voice message.

Quick overview of what it is

 If Nascar was on ice and the cars were people. So essentially a combo of Ice Age and the movie Cars.

Where/When did it start

Do we really need to get into where ice skates came from? I’ll give you a guess. Yep, Northern  Europe

Scientists found a pair near Finland at the bottom of a lake and were dated to about 3,000 BC.
Made of animal bone and not made as a hobby
Bone to iron, iron to steel
Not trying to do a bit, but imagine being that first guy to slap bones on his feet

From there, the Dutch made some modifications in the 1300s
1763, first true skating competition was held in England on the Fenlands. 15 miles long across canals
In the netherlands their distance race is called Elfstedentocht (eleven cities tour), 200km long, started in 1909
Speed skating started in late 1800s, all were held outside
Short track began at the beginning of the 1900s in Canada and the US, where it gained popularity for the mass start appeal.
Only recently (since 1994) have the long track events been held indoors, with 1988 Calgary as the first indoor track
1924 speed skating was introduced at the olympics, 1960 women were allowed to participate
Short track started 1992

How do you win?

Be the fastest skater around the track
Two false starts are disqualified
Average speed is around 30mph

Events

Short Track – started in 1988 as demonstration became standard in 1992

Mens

500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 5,000m Relay

Womens

500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 3,000m Relay

Speed Skating

Men’s 500m, Men’s 1,000m, Men’s 1,500m, Men’s 5,000m, Men’s 10,000m, Men’s Mass Start, Men’s Team Pursuit
Ladies’ 500m, Ladies’ 1,000m, Ladies’ 1,500m, Ladies’ 3,000, Ladies’ 5,000m, Ladies’ Mass Start, Ladies’ Team Pursuit

Biggest Difference between the two event types

Short Track is on a 111m track, whereas regular is 400m
Short track is more about technique as it’s tighter turns and has higher potential for wipeouts
Full track is more about power
500-5,000m is done with only 2 skaters at a time, Short track is 4 to 8 depending on length
Team Pursuit is for three athletes per team. Different than track relay. All three race at the same time, racing against another team of three. Have to finish all three before other team finishes all three
Some events have a staggered start
Long track they generally just do one round whereas short track has several rounds
Mass start is 16 laps, entire field races (max of 24)

Each 4 laps there are sprint points awarded
5, 3, 1 given out for first, second, third
At the end 60, 40, 20 are given out

Best Known for the sport

Short track – dominated by teams from Asia and North America

South Korea, China, Canada and the United States have won 104 of 120 medals awarded
South Korea leads the medal tally (and gold medal tally), with 42 medals including 21 golds
US has 4 gold, 19 total

Speed Skating

Netherlands 35/105, US 29/67, Norway 25/80

Fun Facts

Blue is the fastest color: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/11/sports/olympics/fastest-color.html
Extreme version called Crashed Ice, sponsored by Red Bull (Sweden is great at this, specificaly Jasper Felder (7 championships)
Not sure on the validity, but some say because there are more right hand/leg dominant athletes, it’s easier to go counter-clockwise (turning left)

Most Famous

Maame Biney  [mah-meh Bye-knee]  – 17-year old US, become first black woman to qualify for a US Olympic speedskating team, short track
Erin Jackson – first black woman to qualify for US Olympic long-track team
Steven Bradbury of Australia

Won Gold 1,000m Short Track at Salt Lake City in 2002
Famous for winning by letting everyone else fail
Got into semifinals on a technicality, in semis, three racers crashed so he advanced to finals
Finals – 5 racers, 4 fell, he crosses the finish line with the gold
first person from any southern hemisphere country to win a Winter Olympic event
Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/tYUjmEH9NNk/

Viktor Ahn, with 6 gold medals, has the most Olympic golds in short track

He and Apolo Anton Ohno, with 8 medals each, have the most Olympic medals in short track

German Claudia Pechstein – nine medals—five gold, two silver, and two bronze—more than any other speed skater at the Olympics

one of four Winter Olympians to win medals at five straight Olympics
most successful German Winter Olympian of all-time

Lidiya Skoblikova, Soviet Union

1964 won four gold medals, became first athlete to win gold in each available event

Steven Bradbury’s Improbable Gold Medal