Short Track Speed Skating Competitions

Today’s Short Track competitions are organised for men and women as follows:

The running of competitions is always supervised by the FISU Technical Committee Chair for Short Track Speed Skating and the ISU Technical Delegate, who chair all technical meetings concerned. All sport facilities must be provided with the necessary equipment by the Organising Committee of the host country. This interesting discipline has become very exiting and spectacular not only for spectators in the stadium, but also for TV broadcast and media.

The History of Short Track Speed Skating in FISU

Short Track Speed Skating was added to the sports programme of the Winter Universiade for the first time at the 12th edition in 1985 in Belluno, Italy. Ten (10) men’s teams and nine (9) women’s teams, i.e. a total of 58 athletes, battled for the gold. In the men’s competition the Canadian grabbed the gold in both the team and individual events. Among women, the Americans won the gold.

Today, the strongest teams are from Asia (Korea, Japan, and China), the athletes of which reached the podium places in almost all Short Track distances. Former WU medallists include medallists of the Olympic Winter Games and the World Championships such as: Yang (A) Yang (CHN), gold at the 2002 OWG; Yang (S) Yang (CHN), bronze at the 2002 OWG; Min-Kyun Choi (KOR), gold at the 2002 OWG; Marta Capurso (ITA), bronze at the 2006 OWG. Short Track Speed Skating is a spectacular event which requires no special infrastructures. Any ice hockey stadium with dimensions corresponding to the international standards will be suitable. This discipline was recognised by the IOC as a full-fledged Olympic discipline in 1992. 

Short Track Speed Skating for men and women has been held 16 times at the Winter Universiade. Thanks to the good cooperation between the International Skating Union (ISU) and FISU, we closely follow the evolution of this sport to develop our competition programme. The first FISU Technical Committee Chair for Short Track Speed Skating was Ottavio CINQUANTA (ITA), the former ISU President. In 1987 he was replaced by John THORPE (CAN). Chul-Hi CHANG (KOR) took over in 1996. The current Chair is Namhwan PARK (KOR), who took over from Chul-Hi CHANG in 2011.

Competition Facilities

In accordance with the ISU Regulations and for approval by the FISU Technical Committee, the Organising Committee shall provide for exclusive use one 30 x 60 meter ice rink.

Training Facilities

If the competition ice rink is shared with another discipline (e.g. Figure Skating), the second 30x60 meter ice rink shall be for training and it should be shared with Figure Skating. Men's team Pursuit races over 8 laps for national teams of 3 skaters.

Previous Events

• 2019 - 29th Winter Universiade – Krasnoyarsk (RUS)
• 2017 - 28th Winter Universiade – Almaty (KAZ)
• 2015 - 27th Winter Universiade – Granada (ESP)
• 2013 - 26th Winter Universiade – Trentino (ITA)
• 2011 - 25th Winter Universiade – Erzurum (TUR)
• 2009 - 24th Winter Universiade – Harbin (CHN)
• 2007 - 23rd Winter Universiade – Torino (ITA)
• 2005 - 22nd Winter Universiade – Innsbruck (AUT)
• 2003 - 21st Winter Universiade – Tarvisio (ITA)
• 2001 - 20th Winter Universiade – Zakopane (POL)
• 1999 - 19th Winter Universiade – Poprad/Tatry (SVK)
• 1997 - 18th Winter Universiade – Chonju/Muju (KOR)
• 1995 - 17th Winter Universiade – Jaca (ESP)
• 1993 - 16th Winter Universiade – Zakopane (POL)
• 1991 - 15th Winter Universiade – Sapporo (JPN)
• 1989 - 14th Winter Universiade – Sofia (BUL)
• 1985 - 12th Winter Universiade – Belluno (ITA)