Winter Sports🇨🇦Canada Olympic20th century

Short Track Speed Skating

Pack-style speed skating on a 111 m indoor oval — bodychecks are illegal, but crashes are frequent.

👥1 per team🌤indoor

What is Short Track Speed Skating?

Short track speed skating is contested on a small 111 m oval marked out inside an ice hockey rink. Four to six skaters race together in the same heat over 500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and team relays. The tight turns and pack-style racing produce spectacular tactical passes and dramatic crashes. Olympic sport since Albertville 1992.

Quick facts

Category

Winter Sports

Type

Individual

Players

1 per team

Where played

indoor

Country of origin

🇨🇦 Canada

Estimated origin

Early 20th-century Canada and USA ("pack style" speed skating)

Olympic

Yes

Popularity

global

Sources & provenance

Last verified 2026-08-24.verified