The Shorts-track (French: short track ) is a sport similar to the Speed skating, practitioner on ice in a standard skating rink on a track in the shape of ring of 111,12  meters of circumference, where 4 to 6 skaters clash. Speeds of this graying sport can reach the 55 with 60  km/h. It is what gives the main feature of this sport: to succeed in maintaining a speed high while patinating on a very tight track.

Blades

The shoes of the shorts track can be confused with shoes of speed skating. However, they are very different. The turns are four times tighter than at the speed skating. The blades of the speed skating undergo various adjustments to help the skaters in their turn. They are specific to this sport.

Considering the skaters reach high speeds and that it is difficult to keep control, of the adjustments take a lead in the blade of the skater. With the wire of time, four modifications developed and which are essential today. First of all, the blades of the skaters elevated are compared with the blades of the long speed skating tracks. Secondly, the blade is eccentric towards the left, which makes it possible to the skater to more lean to be opposed to the centrifugal force (it is the same principle as in cycling in the turns). Thirdly, the blade is not perfectly right: “it is curved”, i.e. one treats the blade literally so that it follows a curved course naturally (From its point of view to the top of the blade, it is not a segment of right-hand side but a light arc towards the left). In the jargon of the skaters, this modification is called a " banane". Fourthly, thanks to a specialized machine, one notches the blade so that it takes the shape of a light arc, higher in the center of the blade, low on the ends, to have better a stability in the turns and a better push in the rights. These four modifications make so that the skaters have more facility to control their turns. And even with these innovations, there remains difficult to control these extremely tight turns.

Finally, the Patin S clap of the speed skating did not make their entry in the shorts-track for practical and sedentary reasons.

History

It is about a derivative of the Speed skating, taking its origins in this sport in Europe at the end of the 19th century.

In fact, it remained a long time in the shade of its elder which was recognized like international sport then Olympic sport , the tracks of shorts-track are similar to a skating rink of Hockey, thus, to involve the skaters speed took the practice to borrow them because they for the majority are covered, which is not the case of the large skating rinks, by consequence some did not hesitate to take part in competitions of shorts-track.

With time, more and more with tracks were covered, and with competition, the majority had to specialize in one or the other discipline, especially since the shorts-track are organized, first of all with the installation of championships of the world since 1981 (with Meudon-the-Forest) then in 1988, one decided to include this sport in the Olympic program, initially like sport of demonstration to Calgary then Olympic sport with Albertville in 1992.

This discipline gains more and more admirors and of popularity after each Olympiad.

Rules

  • Skating rink : the length of the race track must be of 111,12  meters on a track of ice with two sides of 60  m and of the ends of 30  Mr. the curves must be in a symmetrical form.
  • Shoes : The blades must have a length ranging between 13 and 19 inches.

AT THE TIME OF THE COMPETITION

  • the blades of the skaters should not pass inside the terminals forming the turnings.

  • the skaters exceeding an adversary should not in no case to touch it or push it.
  • It should not in no case zigzager to harm to the skaters being behind him.
  • the skater must be provided with all its protective gears.
  • a skater cannot make two false start in the same race.

  • If one of these rules is not respected, the skater could be disqualified.

Competitions

  • Shorts-track with the Olympic Games where 28 medals are decreed in the whole of the individual tests and by relay, which is not the case for the other disciplines of the winter sports.
  • Championships of the world of shorts-track since 1981.
  • Circuit of the World cup of shorts-track.
  • the male and female competitions take place on 500: 1000 and: 1500 meters with a relay on: 5000 meters for the Sirs, on: 3000 meters for the ladies.
  • the skaters spring by row from four to six, the classification is defined by the order of arrival on the line

Shorts-track in the world

The dominant countries are South Korea, Canada and China.

Speed skating short-track in Quebec

In the case of Canada, the dominant skaters come especially from Quebec owing to the fact that the Canadian province of the west are turned towards the speed skating long-track. Approximately 4500 young people take part each year in these competition, everywhere through Quebec.

Skaters of shorts-track

Men

Women

See too

  • shorts track Fr
  • Speed-Skating.Net

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