We’re 78 days out from the Olympics, so it’s time to get the skinny on short-track speed skating. It’s the world’s fastest human-powered, non-mechanical sport on Earth—take a second to wrap your head around that. And Canada is one of the most dominant short-track nations out there.
No Maple Leaf–clad team earned more Olympic hardware in Vancouver than the five medals (two gold, two silver, one bronze) won by our short-track speed skaters, and only China won more short-track gold than Canada. The Canucks have been building momentum ever since: Eight different Canadian skaters earned hardware at four World cup stops this season.
Among those world cup winners is Levis, Quebec’s Charles Hamelin [1], who won eight gold medals at four world cup stops this year. That’s an average of two per, if you’re counting. The reigning Olympic 500-m champion is a shoo-in for lots of time on those coveted Olympic steps. In Vancouver, the 29-year-old was the only Canadian to win two gold medals—in a span of 30 minutes.
In Sochi, Hamelin will skate four distances (500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m and relay). “I’ve never seen him this strong,” says recently retired five-time Olympic medalist, Francois-Louis Tremblay, Hamelin’s former teammate. “Nobody can beat him.” Hamelin is so good he even kicked off our Olympic countdown 22 days ago.
Tremblay was kind enough to help us break down some of the sport’s intricacies. He got into the long blades, the high speeds, the crashes—you name it.
You’ll see a skater’s inside hand hit the ice on turns [2], because the speed they reach ripping around the Olympic-sized rink sometimes requires it for balance. In a tight race, it’s also a protective measure to maintain stability when competitors get a bit physical.
The long blades may look funny [3], but the added length provides crucial stability on turns. The blades are aligned on the boot slightly to the left, and with a slight bend that’s consistent with the curve of the track. Skaters personalize the radius of their blades, usually about 10 degrees.
Crashes happen. A lot. Most often during attempts to pass [4]. “The best in the world fall one or two times a year,” says Tremblay. The average? 10-15. “It’s more lethal to pass on the outside, because you build up more speed. You can be sneaky and pass on the inside, but you don’t gain speed, and it’s risky. If you make someone fall you’ll be disqualified.”
Since crashes are so common, the rink is surrounded by 20-cm think cut-resistant padding [5] to protect wayward skaters. That may sound overprotective, but skaters can hit 55 km/h on straightaways—A fast 111-m lap is 8.1 seconds for a man, and 8.7s for a woman [6].
They build up that speed quickly. At the start [7], skaters dig the tip of the front skate in, push off the back, and then—similar to a track race—run three or four steps before hitting their stride. The apex [8] is the slowest point on the track and home to the most lean. Skaters ride momentum here from the straightaway.
And there you have it, the lowdown on where Canada might earn its highest medal count come February. Short track speed skating opens Feb. 10 at the Iceberg Skating Palace in Sochi. Mark your calendar.
