Short Track Speed Skating at Milano Cortina 2026

Organized Chaos on a 111-Meter Oval

Imagine six athletes crammed onto an ice track barely bigger than a hockey rink, skating at 50 km/h shoulder to shoulder, jockeying for position through every turn. Now add razor-sharp blades, no lanes, and a rulebook where contact is legal as long as you don’t use your arms. Short track speed skating is the closest thing the Winter Olympics has to a demolition derby — and the results are almost never predictable.

Short track at Milano Cortina 2026 takes place at the Palavela in Turin — the same venue hosting figure skating — which will be reconfigured between events. The 111.12-meter oval, marked out on a standard-sized ice pad, features tight turns with heavy padding on the boards. There are nine medal events: individual distances at 500m, 1000m, and 1500m for both men and women, plus men’s 5000m relay, women’s 3000m relay, and the mixed team relay.

Why Passing Strategy Matters More Than Speed

Here’s what separates short track from long track speed skating: it’s not primarily about raw speed. Yes, the fastest skaters have an advantage, but the sport rewards positioning, timing, and tactical aggression. Races are run in heats, with the top finishers advancing through quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals.

Passing on the inside of a turn requires diving low and trusting your edge — one slip and you’re into the pads. Passing on the outside means skating a longer distance and fighting centrifugal force. The best short trackers have an almost sixth sense for when to attack: they wait for a competitor’s slight wobble, a momentary loss of rhythm, and then pounce.

The 500m is essentially a two-and-a-half-lap sprint where the start matters enormously. The 1000m adds tactical depth with more passing opportunities. The 1500m is the chess match — the longest individual distance, where athletes may sit in the pack for most of the race before launching a devastating final-lap attack.

The Relay Events Are Pure Theater

Short track relays are unlike any relay in sport. Teams of four rotate freely — there are no designated legs. A skater pushes a teammate into the race (literally, with a physical push from behind), and teams strategize about when to deploy their strongest skater. The mixed team relay, which debuted in Beijing, adds another dimension by requiring both men and women to race.

The relays are where nationalistic pride runs hottest. South Korea, China, the Netherlands, and Canada have all experienced controversial finishes in relay events, with disqualifications and photo finishes producing genuine international drama.

Who Dominates

South Korea invented the modern short track power program, and the nation remains a force — but the landscape has broadened. The Netherlands’ Suzanne Schulting has been the most dominant women’s short tracker of this era, winning multiple Olympic golds and World Championship titles across distances. China’s depth in both men’s and women’s events is formidable, as demonstrated by their team relay gold in Beijing.

For the United States, short track has a complicated recent history. The program produced legends like Apolo Ohno and has medals across multiple Games, but the current generation is rebuilding. Ryan Pivirotto and Corinne Stoddard represent the leading edge of U.S. short track’s next chapter.

Penalties and Controversy

Short track is officiated by video review, and disqualifications are common. Advancing (using your hand to push off or block), impeding (deliberately blocking another skater’s path), and causing a crash are all penalty-worthy. Because these calls often happen in medal-deciding races, controversy is baked into the sport’s DNA. Don’t be shocked if a disqualification reshuffles the podium — it happens at virtually every major competition.

Athletes to Watch

Suzanne Schulting (NED, 1000m / 1500m / Relay) — The Dutch star is the most decorated active women’s short tracker, with Olympic golds and multiple World Championship titles across distances — she’s the clear favorite in the 1000m.

Hwang Dae-heon (KOR, 500m / 1000m) — The Beijing 1500m gold medalist and reigning World Champion in 500m combines explosive speed with aggressive racing instincts that make him dangerous in every event.

Park Ji-won (KOR, 1000m / 1500m) — The young Korean has emerged as one of the most technically gifted male short trackers, with a smooth, efficient skating style that excels in the longer distances.

Ryan Pivirotto (USA, 1000m / 1500m) — The leading American men’s short tracker has shown improvement on the World Cup circuit and carries the hopes of a rebuilding U.S. program into Milano Cortina.

Xandra Velzeboer (NED, 500m / Mixed Relay) — The Dutch sprint specialist has been dominant in the 500m on the World Cup circuit and gives the Netherlands medal contenders across the entire women’s program.

Venue Spotlight

Short track speed skating shares the Palavela in Turin with figure skating, with the venue reconfigured between the two sports. The intimate arena creates an intense atmosphere where every crash, pass, and photo finish reverberates through the crowd. Turin has strong short track history — it was here in 2006 that Apolo Ohno won his iconic gold medal — giving the venue a special resonance for American fans.