SHORT-TRACK SPEED SKATING

Speed-skating rinks The starting and finishing positions for speed-skating Speed skate A speed skate has a low boot and a thin blade that is essentially The glide stride is a basic technique used by speed skaters on back straights and curves. (5.8 sport that tests the speed, technical skating ability, and aggressiveness of its racers. Unlike traditional long-track speed skating, contestants race against each other instead of the clock. Short track evolved in the 1970s from traditional speed skating. Racing in groups of four to eight contestants, skaters compete on an indoor track the size of a hockey rink with a lap length of 111 metres (364 feet). The top two finishers from each heat advance to the next round. Passing strategies and pacing are important components of the sport. Contact often occurs as skaters jockey for position. Because of the sharp turns at high speeds, a special speed skate, one with a taller blade and higher boot, is used to provide extra support for the skater. Falls are common in short-track racing, and skaters wear protective pads on their elbows and knees, as well as helmets and gloves. The walls of the track are also padded. Individual short-track races are held over 500 metres, 1,000 metres, 1,500 metres, and 3,000 metres for both men and women. Four-person relays cover distances of 3,000 metres (women) and 5,000 metres (men). World championships were held annually from 1978 to 1980 before being recognized by the International Skating Union. In 1992 short-track speed skating made its Olympic debut at Albertville, France, as men's (1,000-metre race and 5,000-metre relay) and women's (500-metre race and 3,000-metre relay) events were held. At the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, the men's 500-metre event was added, as well as the women's 1,000-metre event.