Automobile History International Race Track

Automobile History International Race Track

Automobile History International Race Track

Starting guns, breakneck speeds, dangerous crashes and fallen athletes, all around a 111-meter oval of ice, can only mean one sport — short track speed skating.

The history of short track speed skating is relatively young, as the sport is new to the international athletic scene. First developed in North America at the beginning of the twentieth century, short track grew out of a lack of ice time for long track speed skaters.

History of Speed Skating: Difference Between Short Track and Long Track

There are several differences between short track and long track speed skating, but one of the most noticeable is the discrepancy between track sizes. In long track speed skating, skaters race head-to-head around a 400-meter sheet of ice. In short track, the ice track is only 111 meters long.