What’s the difference between speed skating and short track?

They are both speedskating events, but long-track speedskating and short track are hardly alike. Let’s break down the differences between the two events.

Speedskating has been part of the Olympic program since the inception of the Winter Games. At the first Winter Olympiad in Chamonix back in 1924, 31 competitors squared off at four distances. Finland’s Clas Thunberg won the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races and also claimed the all-around title.

Since then, speedskating has been a regular part of the quadrennial calendar. Women’s competition was added at Squaw Valley in 1960. Since then, there have been minor additions here and there. A 1000-meter race was added for men in 1976. Women got a long-distance opportunity on the long track with the introduction of the 5000-meter race in 1988.

The most recent evolution was the addition of a team pursuit race in 2006. Other than that, however, long-track speedskating is marked mainly by athletes racing in heats against the clock. Two skaters are simultaneously circling the track, but they are racing time more than they are in direct competition with one another.

Short track, on the other hand, relies on direct competition in each heat.

First appearing on the Olympic scene at Calgary 1988, short track competition quickly integrated into the core group of medal events. While speedskating takes place on 400-meter ovals, short tracks measure just over one-quarter that length.

The race is still against the clock, but skaters compete more directly against one another. Four skaters toe the line at the start on the smaller track. Once the starting pistol is fired, each quartet bumps and jostles each other around each lap. The goal is not necessarily to gain the best possible time. Instead, each skater is attempting to finish in the top two of each heat to progress to the next round.

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While both speedskating disciplines essentially rely on similar equipment and technique, direct athletic interaction separates the long track from its shorter, more physical variant. Whereas speedskating is traditionally a time trial, short track mirrors the rise of similar sports like ski cross and snowboard cross that pit multiple athletes against one another at a time on a single course.