Gloves
Gloves are worn to protect skaters' hands from blades. They are especially important when going around a curve because the hand is placed on the ice to help maintain balance.
Goggles
Goggles are not required, but some skaters wear them to protect their eyes from wind and ice chips. Tinted lenses reduce glare and aid visibility.
Helmet
Hard plastic helmets prevent potential head injuries resulting from crashes with competitors, ice or side walls.
Protective wear
Knee, shin, and sometimes neck guards offer protection from the blades of the skater in front.
Skates
Short track boots lace higher up the ankle than traditional skates and are constructed from customised foot moulds and with heavier materials to help stabilise the foot and ankle around corners. To grip the ice around turns, blades are extremely sharp and are bent in at an arc that mirrors the direction of the turn. In addition, blades are placed off-centre to the left so the boot does not touch the ice when the skater leans into the turn.
Skin-tight suit
Skin-tight suits mould to the skater's body to reduce wind resistance.
In short track speed skating, athletes compete not against the clock, but against each other. This introduces the elements of strategy, bravery and skill needed for racing.
European origin
Short track (or indoor) speed skating began in Europe at the end of the 19th century. However, it quickly spread to the United States and Canada, where it became extremely popular. Subsequently, from 1906, these countries began competing against each other on an annual basis.
American influence
The sport’s rise in popularity was partly thanks to the North American racing rules, which introduced mass starts and a “pack” style of racing. Capitalising on this, the organisers of the 1932 Lake Placid Games, with the consent of the International Skating Union (ISU), agreed to follow these rules for the programme’s speed skating events.
Thrills and spills
Short track speed skating has proved popular with spectators ever since its inclusion alongside its “long track” sibling in the 1992 Albertville Games. This is thanks to the speed of the race, the tightness of the indoor track, the closely bunched pack of jostling skaters and the inevitable collisions and falls. Accordingly, the walls of the indoor rink are padded for safety.
Asian emergence
In recent Games, China and Korea have emerged to challenge North American dominance in this event. Indeed at the 2006 Turin Games, it was South Korea who emerged as the nation to beat, winning an incredible six gold medals, and 10 medals in total.