Short track is a relatively young discipline of the Winter Olympics. This sport attracts fans with its entertainment and dynamism.
Short track is an Olympic sport in which athletes demonstrate their skills in speed skating on a short track. The Russian team has already won a whole set of Olympic medals in Sochi in this sport.
The first Olympic official short track speed skating competition began to be held only in 1992, they immediately attracted a large number of fans with their dynamism and entertainment.
Short track includes several types of disciplines. Currently, 8 sets of medals are played at the Olympic Games (4 sets for women and men). The most spectacular are the relay races for 3 and 5 kilometers for women and men, respectively. There are also three types of competitions in which athletes run at different distances (500, 1000 and 1500 meters).
Unlike speed skating, in short track speed skating, time is not the deciding factor for winning. This is a contact race in which athletes compete with each other “for elimination”. The main goal of the competition is to come to the finish line first. In each race, 4 athletes start at the same time, of which only two winners advance to the next round. This race will continue until there are only 4 participants left, among whom medals will be drawn.
Interestingly, in short track skating, the skates are slightly higher than in classic speed skating. This is done so that the skates firmly fix not only the foot, but also the ankle, so they are made individually for each athlete.
