Speed skating is the fastest type of human-propelled racing on ice! In Short Track Speed Skating, the competitors race each other on a 111m track that is set on an Olympic-sized (30x60m) rink. Common distances in Short Track Speed Skating include the 500m, 1000m and 1500m. The 500m is considered the sprint in short track speed skating. It is 4.5 laps of the track and takes under 1 minute to complete, with most skaters racing between 45 and 55 seconds. In addition to these common distances, the Ontario Winter Games will also feature a 3000m Points Race in which the skaters race for points at 4 intervals over the course of the 27 lap race. This is a strategic race, and the winner is the skater who accumulates the most points during the 27 laps.
Perhaps the most popular event is Short Track Speed Skating is the Relay. Relay teams are made up of 4 skaters who push each other, typically in 1-2 lap intervals, to maintain their speed and complete the race. At the 2020 Ontario Winter Games, the speed skaters will trial a new event: the Mixed Gender Relay, which will be an event at the 2022 Olympic Games! Each team will be made up of 2 females and 2 males who must work together to finish the race. Each skater must skate 4.5 laps (500m) in intervals of 2 or 2.5 lap exchanges.
Be sure to come to the Allendale Recreation Centre in Barrie on Friday February 28th and Saturday February 29th to see the Short Track Speed Skaters in action!