Short track
The sport of short track speed skating, characterized by the mass start, originated in Canada and the United States in 1905, with the first known competition to have taken place in 1909. Short track speed skating became part of the ISU (International Skating Union) in 1967, although it would be some time before ISU-sanctioned competitions were organized on a world-wide basis. In 1981, the sport's first World Championship was held at Meudon-la-Foręt, France. A milestone occurred in 1988 when the sport made its Olympic debut as a demonstration event at the Calgary Winter Olympic Games. Full medal status came in 1992 at the Albertville Winter Games.
Short track speed skating takes place on a 111.12 m oval track on a rink measuring 30m x 60m. Because the corners are tight and it can be difficult for skaters to maintain control, the boards must be covered by protective mats of polyurethane foam at least 20 cm thick with a minimum height of 1 m. The mats are covered with a water-resistant and cut-resistant material and they must be attached to the boards as well as to each other.
Racing
In World Championship competition, men and women skate four distances: 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 3,000 m and relay races over 3,000 m for women and 5,000 m for men. The competition lasts two days. The events are skated in the following order: 1,500, 500, 1,000 and 3,000 m. Instead of racing in pairs as in long track, short track skaters mass start with four to eight skaters on the starting line. Positions are drawn by lot and the competition pits skater against skater. Strategies and tactics are very important in a race. Races are often won by the smartest rather than the fastest skater. In international competitions, skaters must finish among the top two in their heat, quarterfinals and semifinals to qualify for the 500 m, 1,000 m and 1,500 m finals. Only the skaters who accumulate points in previous finals are eligible for the 3,000 m final.
First place receives 34 points; second place, 21 points; third place, 13 points; fourth place, 8 points, fifth place, 5 points, sixth place, 3 points, seventh place, 2 points, and eighth place, 1 point. The winner of the World Short Track Speed Skating title is the skater with the highest number of final points when the championship ends.
Racing rules
In contrast to its long track
sister, short track athletes do not race against the clock. A pack of four to
six skaters race against each other, rather than the clock. Times are kept in
short track racing only for the purpose of establishing local, national and
world records.
Usually, competitors skate a series of heats or elimination rounds for the
individual events. Heats have up to six skaters, with the top two finishers from
each heat advancing to the next round.
Each skater is allowed one false start and is disqualified after the second. The
start is crucial to the skater, especially in the shorter distances, since the
start is not staggered and a skater can move to the inside immediately. Skaters
must skate outside the blocks on the corners, but may enter into the infields on
the straight-aways. When the skater steps or skates inside the blocks a
disqualification of offtrack will occur.
Passing must be done cleanly and without body contact. The rules on passing
other skaters are strict. One infraction and a skater is out. The lead skater
has the right of way and the passing skater must assume responsibility for
avoiding body contact. The most frequent passing occurs when a skater passes on
the inside near the first or second block of the corner.
Intentionally pushing, obstructing or colliding with another skater calls for
disqualification of the offending athlete and a chance for advancement to the
next round by the victim of the offense. Improperly crossing the course
(cross-tracking) is also prohibited, as is kicking your skate across the finish
line.
Given the frequent contact between skaters in short track racing, falls are not
uncommon. Although a competitor is not disqualified for a fall, to come from
behind and win after a fall in any individual event is nearly impossible.
Technique
Short track speed skaters use many of the same strategies and tactics as track racers (e.g. running or cycling). Well-conditioned skaters may elect to lead from the gun hoping to wear out the competition. Others may choose to conserve energy for a finishing sprint. And some may throw in several sprints during a race in hopes of causing confusion in the pack. Whatever the strategy, a basic tactic for every skater is to be no worse than second or third with four or five laps to go. The result is plenty of passing as skaters seek to improve their positions in the pack. Passing requires instant acceleration, agility, good balance and nerves of steel.
Equipment:
- skates
- helmet
- knee pads
- shin guards
- gloves
- skin suit
Long track
Long track skating is performed on 400 meter rinks. 333 meter rinks are used as well, but not on national and international level. Long track speed skating has been an Olympic sport since 1928.
Racing Rules
Skaters are allowed only one false start before they are disqualified. They are not allowed to skate inside their individual lane markers. The inside skate may cross the lane line when entering a corner, providing the gliding skate, the one bearing the skater's weight, remains outside. Skaters must cross over on every lap. The skater moving from the outer lane to the inner lane has the right-of-way when both skaters exit the corner simultaneously.
Technique
Force is maximized in speed skating by adopting the crouched position which reduces air resistance and which is characteristic of the sport. The lower the crouch, the more the leg can extend to the side during the push, lengthening the time spent applying force to the ice.
With conventional, fixed-blade speed skates, good technical speed skating is almost soundless — except during the start — because the push is delivered through the middle of the skate, not the toe. The new klapskate, however, permits skaters to push with their toe, thus utilizing their calf muscles more efficiently and generating more speed. Klapskates also prevent the tip of the blade from digging into the ice and more importantly, they let the blade stay in contact longer with the ice. Most skaters adopt a starting position with their weight evenly distributed between the two skates. The front foot is placed on the ice, perpendicular to the starting line. The back foot is placed at an angle to the starting line so that the initial push is as powerful as possible. Some skaters run off the starting line, going for maximum leg speed; others try to skate off concentrating on maximum push and leg extension. Whatever the technique, all skaters strive for a smooth transition from the short steps of the start to the long, smooth efficient push of full speed skating.
Equipment:
- skates
- gloves
- skin suit