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    Sochi 2014

    XXII Olympic Winter Games
    Hot. Cool. Yours.
    7-23 February 2014
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  • 14 July
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    About

    Short Track speed skating

    A Bit of History

    Short track speed skating first appeared at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, as demonstration sport, and it was not until the 1992 games in Albertville that it became an official part of the Winter Olympics. It has become an integral part of the Games and short track spectators love the speed and intense competition between the athletes.

    Short Track in Russia

    In February 1985, classic speed skating races were replaced by short track skating at the World Universiade in Italy.

    The Soviet team first competed in the world short track championships in April 1986 in the French city of Chamonix. The sport’s popularity in Russia has grown over time and short track racing stars have opened centers in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

    Short Track Today

    Short track is a type of speed skating in which the athletes compete to cover a 111.12 meter oval ice track as quickly as possible.

    The Olympic races include 500m, 1000m, and 1500m races (for both men and women), and relay races at 3000m (women) and 5000m (men). Eight sets of medals are awarded.

    Short track skaters compete on an elimination basis. Following the group start, skaters use various tactics to be the first to the finish line. The winner is the first over the line and time is not a deciding factor in victory.

    The individual competitions involve 32 skaters participating in heats of four athletes at a time. From each group of four, the top two finishers advance to the next round. That continues until the final four are identified, who then compete for the medals.

    The relay involves 8 teams of four skaters each. Each team decides for itself the number of laps each athlete will skate. The only exception is the last two laps, which must be covered by the same skater (as long as he has not been injured). The first two teams from each semi-final advance to the final.

    Equipment

    • Short track skates are higher than traditional racing skates. They are made individually for each skater and are made to especially fit the sole of his foot and his ankle while racing. The blades of the skates are extremely sharp, and 40-46 cm long.
    • Special stiff gloves for short track racing protect the hands from being cut by the blades.
    • Short track helmets are made from firm plastic to prevent potential head injuries.
    • Special skin-tight suits mold to the skater’s body to reduce wind resistance.
    • Knee, elbow, and neck guards offer additional protection from injury.
    Did you know that

    In contrast to what is used for speed skating, the skate blades in short track are not positioned along the central longitudinal axis of the shoe sole. Rather, they are strongly shifted to the left of this axis.

    In contrast to speed-skating, the track for short-track uses, as a rule, the normal hockey "box."

    The first major international event involving Soviet athletes was the Universiade of 1985 in Belluno (Italy)

    News: Short Track
    Viktor Ahn sets new short track records
    22 FebruaryViktor Ahn sets new short track records
    Russian short track speed skater Victor Ahn won two more Olympic golds on Friday and took his tally to six – the highest in the sport's history.
    21 FebruaryAhn leads Russia to 5,000m short track relay gold
    Russia - led by speed skating superstar Victor Ahn - set a new Olympic record in winning gold in the men's 5,000m relay on Friday in front of a vociferous home crowd in Sochi.
    21 FebruaryPark wins womens 1,000m short track
    South Korea's Park Seung-Hi won the women's 1,000m short-track speed skating title on Friday, her third medal and second gold of the Sochi Olympics.
    21 FebruaryVictor Ahn victorious again in 500m short track gold
    Russia's short track star Victor Ahn won the men's 500m short track speed skating gold on Friday to add to his earlier gold in the 1,000m event.
    21 FebruaryAthletes delighted with the spectator atmosphere and quality of the ice inside the Iceberg
    The final short track speed skating medals are being contested today in the Iceberg Skating Palace.
    See all
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