Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skating. In the Olympic Games, long-track speed skating is usually referred to as just "speed skating", while short-track speed skating is known as "short track". The International Skating Union (ISU), the governing body of competitive ice sports, refers to long track as "speed skating" and short track as "short track skating". Long track speed skating takes place on a 400m ice track, while short track takes place on a 111m track.
Short-track speed skating is a form of competitive ice speed skating. In competitions, multiple skaters skate on an oval ice track with a length of 111.111 metres (364.54 ft). The rink itself is 60 metres (196.85 ft) long by 30 metres (98.43 ft) wide, which is the same size as an Olympic-sized figure skating rink and an international-sized ice hockey rink. Related sports include long-track speed skating and inline speed skating.
The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, Netherlands, in July 1892, making it one of the oldest international sport federations. The ISU was formed to establish standardized international rules and regulations for the skating disciplines it governs, and to organize international competitions in these disciplines. It is now based in Switzerland.
Arianna Fontana OMRI is an Italian short track speed skater, who has won eleven Olympic medals among these two gold medals in the 500m short track, one at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang and the second one at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. Her medal haul following the 2022 Games made her the short track skater with the most Olympic medals. It also made her the Italian sportswoman with the highest number of Winter Olympic medals, one more than Stefania Belmondo. She specializes in the 500 m event.
Roberto Sighel is an Italian former speedskater, with particularly strong achievements in the allround samalogue competitions.
Elise Christie is a British former short track speed skater. She was coached by Nicky Gooch and she specialised in the 1000m event. She is ten times a European gold medallist, including two overall European titles in 2015 and 2016. In the 2017 World Championships in Rotterdam she won world titles in the 1000m and 1500m events, along with the overall gold, marking her as the first British woman and first European woman to achieve such a feat.
The 2011 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between 25 and 27 February 2011 in Courmayeur, Italy at the Forum Sport Center ice rink. The World Championships are organised by the ISU which also run world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating.
The 2011 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between 11 and 13 March 2011 at the Sheffield Arena in Sheffield, England. The World Championships were organised by the ISU which also runs world cups and championships in speed skating and figure skating.
The 2012 European Speed Skating Championships was the 37th continental speed skating event for women and the 106th for men, that was held at the City Park Ice Rink in Budapest, Hungary, from 6 to 8 January 2012. The competition was also a qualifying event for the 2012 World Allround Speed Skating Championships as the entry quotas were allocated according to the results of the European Championships.
Zsófia Kónya is a Hungarian short track speed skater, member of the national team. She was 3rd place on the European Championships in 2014 and 3rd placed in the Winter Universiade in 2013. She qualified and was expected to compete in Sochi at the Winter Olympic Games in 2014, representing Hungary.
The 2013 European Speed Skating Championships was the 38th continental allround speed skating event for women and the 107th for men. The championships were held at the Thialf in Heerenveen, Netherlands, from 11 through 13 January 2013. Both the men's and women's championship consisted of four separate distance events and the winners are the skaters with the lowest points total after four distances. The competition was also a qualifying event for the 2013 World Allround Speed Skating Championships as the entry quotas were allocated according to the results of the European Championships. Sven Kramer and Ireen Wüst won the European titles.
The 2016 World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place from 29 to 31 January 2016 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The 2017 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place from 13–15 January 2017 in Turin, Italy.
The 2018 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place, for the third time, from 12 to 14 January 2018 in Dresden, Germany.
The 2019 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place, for the fourth time, from 11 to 13 January 2019 in Dordrecht, Netherlands.
The 2021 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships were held from 5 to 7 March 2021 in Dordrecht, Netherlands.
The 1999 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between 22 and 24 January 1999 in Oberstdorf, Germany.
The 2001 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between 19 and 21 January 2000 in The Hague, Netherlands.
The 2022 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships were the 46th edition, held from April 8 to 10, 2022 at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal, Canada. World Short Track Speed Skating Championships have been contested since 1976.
The 2013 European Short Track Speed Skating Championships took place between 18 and 20 January 2013 at the Malmö Arena in Malmö, Sweden.
Italy (ITA)*
Bulgaria (BUL)
Great Britain (GBR)
Netherlands (NED)
France (FRA)
Germany (GER)
Hungary (HUN)
