Speed Skating – Short Track

Sport Overview

Short Track Speed Skating at Milano Cortina 2026

Venue: Milano Ice Skating Arena

Competition Dates: February 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20 (Days 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14)

Events: 9 (4 men, 4 women, 1 mixed)

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Short track speed skating takes place on a 111.12m oval which is marked on an international-sized ice rink. The smaller oval means there are tighter turns and shorter straightaways than in long track speed skating. There are nine short track events on the Olympic program, including three individual events for each gender.

In the 500m (4 ½ laps) and the 1000m (9 laps) there are four rounds of competition (qualification heats, quarterfinals, semifinals, finals) in which there are usually four skaters racing at a time.

With 13-and-a-half laps, the 1500m is the most strategic of the individual events. There are three rounds of competition (heats, semifinals, finals) in which there are usually six skaters racing at a time.

In the men’s 5000m relay (45 laps) and women’s 3000m relay (27 laps), teams compete with four skaters each and there are four teams on the ice at a time. Instead of a baton, the exchange between teammates is made by pushing the next skater to maintain momentum and movement. Skaters will race one to two laps before making an exchange. In the event of a fall, a covering skater may tag the fallen skater and continue the race.

The newest Olympic event is the mixed team relay, which has a total distance of 2000m (18 laps). Each team includes two women and two men, who must race in that order (woman-woman-man-man). Each skater covers two-and-a-half laps before pushing the next member of their team into the race. Each skater races twice. If an athlete falls, only an athlete of the same gender can tag in to continue the race.

Canadian Olympic Short Track Speed Skating History (Pre-Milano Cortina 2026)

Short track speed skating has only been on the Olympic program since Albertville 1992, but it is already Canada’s second-most successful winter sport with 37 medals won.

With six Olympic medals, including four gold, Charles Hamelin is Canada’s most decorated male Winter Olympian. He set that record in his fifth Olympic appearance at Beijing 2022 where he won gold with the 5000m relay. It was his fourth Olympic medal in the men’s relay. His two individual Olympic medals were both gold. On one night at Vancouver 2010, Hamelin won gold in the 500m and in the 5000m relay. He also won gold in the 1500m at Sochi 2014.

Canada’s best Games for short track speed skating were at Salt Lake City 2002, where six medals were won. Marc Gagnon contributed three of those, highlighted by his gold medal in the 500m as he shared the podium with silver medal-winning teammate Jonathan Guilmette. The duo also won gold as members of the 5000m relay. Gagnon added a bronze medal in the 1500m. He ended his career as one of Canada’s most decorated Olympians with five medals, having previously won 1000m bronze at Lillehammer 1994 and relay gold at Nagano 1998.

Also on the most decorated list is François-Louis Tremblay, who won the first of his five Olympic medals as a member of the relay in Salt Lake City. He won relay medals at the next two Games, where he also stood on the podium in the 500m, winning silver at Turin 2006 and bronze at Vancouver 2010.

With four Olympic medals, Kim Boutin is tied as Canada’s most decorated female short track speed skater. She was the country’s only triple medallist at PyeongChang 2018 as she reached in the podium in all of the women’s individual events. She was selected as Canada’s Closing Ceremony flag bearer. Boutin added 500m bronze at Beijing 2022.

Until 2018, Canada had never missed the podium in the women’s 3000m relay, starting with a gold medal at Albertville 1992. Four silver and two bronze have been won since then. Tania Vicent was a member of four of those teams, tying her with Boutin for Olympic medals won. The only Canadian woman to win individual Olympic gold in short track speed skating was Annie Perreault in the 500m at Nagano 1998.

Olympic Short Track Speed Skating History

After being a demonstration sport at Calgary 1988, short track speed skating gained official Olympic medal status at Albertville 1992. There were just four events in the sport’s official Olympic debut: women’s 500m, men’s 1000m, women’s 3000m relay, and men’s 5000m relay.

At Lillehammer 1994, the men’s 500m and women’s 1000m were added. The men’s and women’s 1500m events were added at Salt Lake City 2002.  The Olympic program remained unchanged until the addition of the mixed relay at Beijing 2022.