Short Track Speed Skating Winter Olympic

Short Track Speed Skating Olympic medal winners showcase explosive speed and tactical racing on a compact ice rink.

Arianna Fontana of Italy claims the all-time record with 11 Olympic medals across five Games, while Viktor Ahn of Russia revolutionized the sport by winning gold across all four disciplines.

South Korea dominates with 53+ total medals, followed by China (37 medals) and Canada (37 medals).

Short track became an official Olympic sport in 1992 at Albertville, France, after appearing as a demonstration event in 1988.

The sport features head-to-head racing where multiple skaters compete simultaneously on a 111-meter track.

Nine distinct events now showcase the discipline: men’s and women’s 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m relay, and mixed team relay.

Complete Short Track Speed Skating Olympic Medal Winners (1992-2022)

Short track speed skating competitions feature four core distances (500m, 1000m, 1500m, relays) contested separately for men and women. Additional events and team events have been added to the Olympic program over time.

YearHost CityEventGoldSilverBronzeCountry
1992AlbertvilleMen’s 1000mKim Ki-hoonFrederic BlackburnAhn Hyun-sooSouth Korea
1992AlbertvilleMen’s 5000m RelaySouth KoreaCanadaJapanSouth Korea
1992AlbertvilleWomen’s 500mCathy TurnerLi YanHwang Ok-silUSA
1992AlbertvilleWomen’s 3000m RelayCanadaUSAUnified TeamCanada
1994LillehammerMen’s 500mChae Ji-hoonNikolai GulyayevCédric MoneSouth Korea
1994LillehammerMen’s 1000mKim Ki-hoonJon EleyRichard WaltersSouth Korea
1994LillehammerMen’s 1500mKim Ki-hoonFrederic BlackburnAhn Hyun-sooSouth Korea
1994LillehammerMen’s 5000m RelayItalySouth KoreaAustraliaItaly
1994LillehammerWomen’s 500mCathy TurnerZhang MinAmy PetersonUSA
1994LillehammerWomen’s 1000mChun Lee-kyungNatsuki TakamiyaKatharina SeitzSouth Korea
1994LillehammerWomen’s 1500mKim Choon-heeNatsuki TakamiyaElaine ZhuangSouth Korea
1994LillehammerWomen’s 3000m RelaySouth KoreaCanadaUSASouth Korea
1998NaganoMen’s 500mTakafumi NishitaniFrederic BlackburnAhn Hyun-sooJapan
1998NaganoMen’s 1000mKim Dong-sungAhn Hyun-sooMarc GagnonSouth Korea
1998NaganoMen’s 1500mAhn Hyun-sooKim Dong-sungShoji IwataSouth Korea
1998NaganoMen’s 5000m RelaySouth KoreaCanadaChinaSouth Korea
1998NaganoWomen’s 500mChun Lee-kyungYang Yang (S)Ayuko SatoSouth Korea
1998NaganoWomen’s 1000mChun Lee-kyungYang Yang (S)Takako MurakamiSouth Korea
1998NaganoWomen’s 1500mYang Yang (S)Chun Lee-kyungNatsuki TakamiyaChina
1998NaganoWomen’s 3000m RelaySouth KoreaChinaJapanSouth Korea
2002Salt Lake CityMen’s 500mMarc GagnonAhn Hyun-sooRusty SmithCanada
2002Salt Lake CityMen’s 1000mSteven BradburyAhn Hyun-sooKim Dong-sungAustralia
2002Salt Lake CityMen’s 1500mAhn Hyun-sooMarc GagnonMin Hye-kyungSouth Korea
2002Salt Lake CityMen’s 5000m RelayCanadaSouth KoreaItalyCanada
2002Salt Lake CityWomen’s 500mYang Yang (A)Katherine ReutterEvgeniya RadanovaChina
2002Salt Lake CityWomen’s 1000mYang Yang (S)Katherine ReutterEvgeniya RadanovaChina
2002Salt Lake CityWomen’s 1500mZhou YangEvelina TrutaevaKatherine ReutterChina
2002Salt Lake CityWomen’s 3000m RelaySouth KoreaCanadaChinaSouth Korea
2006TurinMen’s 500mAhn Hyun-sooApolo Anton OhnoLi JiajunSouth Korea
2006TurinMen’s 1000mAhn Hyun-sooLee Jung-seulApolo Anton OhnoSouth Korea
2006TurinMen’s 1500mAhn Hyun-sooApolo Anton OhnoLee Jung-seulSouth Korea
2006TurinMen’s 5000m RelaySouth KoreaCanadaChinaSouth Korea
2006TurinWomen’s 500mJin Sun-yuYin XiaohuiEvgeniya RadanovaSouth Korea
2006TurinWomen’s 1000mJin Sun-yuZhou YangEvgeniya RadanovaSouth Korea
2006TurinWomen’s 1500mJin Sun-yuZhou YangIone RexhepiSouth Korea
2006TurinWomen’s 3000m RelaySouth KoreaChinaItalySouth Korea
2010VancouverMen’s 500mCharles HamelinSung Si-baekApolo Anton OhnoCanada
2010VancouverMen’s 1000mLee Jung-seulApolo Anton OhnoCharles HamelinSouth Korea
2010VancouverMen’s 1500mLee Jung-seulSung Si-baekApolo Anton OhnoSouth Korea
2010VancouverMen’s 5000m RelayCanadaSouth KoreaUSACanada
2010VancouverWomen’s 500mWang MengKatherine ReutterAlyona LemeshevaChina
2010VancouverWomen’s 1000mWang MengZhou YangAlyona LemeshevaChina
2010VancouverWomen’s 1500mZhou YangWang MengAlyona LemeshevaChina
2010VancouverWomen’s 3000m RelaySouth KoreaUSAChinaSouth Korea
2014SochiMen’s 500mViktor AhnLee Ho-sukSjinkie KnegtRussia
2014SochiMen’s 1000mVictor AhnLee Ho-sukCedric CellucciRussia
2014SochiMen’s 1500mVictor AhnSjinkie KnegtOlivier JeanRussia
2014SochiMen’s 5000m RelayUSASouth KoreaCanadaUSA
2014SochiWomen’s 500mLi JianrouArianna FontanaGuo XinyuanChina
2014SochiWomen’s 1000mPark Seung-hiLi JianrouArianna FontanaSouth Korea
2014SochiWomen’s 1500mZhou YangArianna FontanaKatherine ReutterChina
2014SochiWomen’s 3000m RelaySouth KoreaItalyCanadaSouth Korea
2018PyeongChangMen’s 500mDing YangWu DajingSon Kwang-bumChina
2018PyeongChangMen’s 1000mSamuel GirardShaoang LiuMauro MarinCanada
2018PyeongChangMen’s 1500mHwang Dae-heonSamuel GirardSjinkie KnegtSouth Korea
2018PyeongChangMen’s 3000m RelaySouth KoreaItalyCanadaSouth Korea
2018PyeongChangMen’s RelaySouth KoreaCanadaJapanSouth Korea
2018PyeongChangWomen’s 500mErin JacksonChloe KimMartina ValcepinaUSA
2018PyeongChangWomen’s 1000mSuzanne SchultingZhou YangArianna FontanaNetherlands
2018PyeongChangWomen’s 1500mKim BoutinArianna FontanaYara Van KerkhofCanada
2018PyeongChangWomen’s 3000m RelayJapanSouth KoreaCanadaJapan
2018PyeongChangMixed Team RelayJapanSouth KoreaCanadaJapan
2022BeijingMen’s 500mDing YangWu DajingSteven DuboisChina
2022BeijingMen’s 1000mSteven DuboisLi WenlongShaoang LiuCanada
2022BeijingMen’s 1500mShaoang LiuErin JacksonSam GirardHungary
2022BeijingMen’s 3000m RelayItalyCanadaChinaItaly
2022BeijingMen’s RelayROCUSACanadaROC
2022BeijingWomen’s 500mArianna FontanaSuzanne SchultingErin JacksonItaly
2022BeijingWomen’s 1000mSuzanne SchultingErin JacksonYara Van KerkhofNetherlands
2022BeijingWomen’s 1500mSuzanne SchultingArianna FontanaYara Van KerkhofNetherlands
2022BeijingWomen’s 3000m RelayNetherlandsCanadaItalyNetherlands
2022BeijingMixed Team RelayNetherlandsItalyAustraliaNetherlands

Most Decorated Short Track Skaters in Olympic History

AthleteCountry500m1000m1500mRelayTotalSpan
Arianna FontanaItaly2G, 3S, 1B1S, 1B2S, 2B1G, 1B112006-2022
Viktor AhnRussia1G, 1B1G, 1B1G, 1B1G, 1B81998-2014
Apolo Anton OhnoUSA2G, 1S, 2B2S, 1B1S—82002-2010
Lee Jung-seulSouth Korea—1G, 1S1G, 1S2G52006-2010
Zhou YangChina—1G, 1S1G, 1S, 1B1G, 1B62006-2014
Charles HamelinCanada1G, 2S——1G, 2S62010-2018
Samuel GirardCanada—1G, 1S1S1G, 1S, 1B52018-2022
Jin Sun-yuSouth Korea1G1G1G1G42006
Ahn Hyun-sooSouth Korea2G, 1S1G, 2S1G, 1S1G, 1B81998-2006
Wang MengChina—1G, 1S1G, 1S—32010
Li JianrouChina3G———32010-2014
Suzanne SchultingNetherlands1G, 1S2G1G, 1B1G, 1S72018-2022

Short Track Speed Skating Medals by Country (All-Time)

CountryGoldSilverBronzeTotalNotable Athletes
South Korea26141353Kim Ki-hoon, Ahn Hyun-soo, Lee Jung-seul
China12131237Yang Yang (A), Yang Yang (S), Zhou Yang
Canada10141337Charles Hamelin, Samuel Girard, Marc Gagnon
Italy87419Arianna Fontana, Maurizio Marchei
Netherlands65314Suzanne Schulting
USA47920Apolo Anton Ohno, Cathy Turner, Erin Jackson
Russia52512Viktor Ahn, Ilya Kuznetsov
Japan32611Takafumi Nishitani
Australia1001Steven Bradbury
Hungary1023Shaoang Liu
Unified Team0101—
Great Britain0000—

Short Track Speed Skating Events & Medal Distribution (1992-2022)

EventFirst YearGold Medals AwardedSouth Korea GoldsChina GoldsCanada Golds
Men’s 500m19928221
Men’s 1000m19928211
Men’s 1500m19947311
Men’s Relay (3000m/5000m)19928402
Women’s 500m19928230
Women’s 1000m19947221
Women’s 1500m19947021
Women’s Relay (3000m)19928501
Mixed Team Relay20183100
TOTAL—6421118

Age Records & Notable Achievements

Youngest Medalists:

  • Kim Yoon-Mi (South Korea): 13 years old, Women’s 3000m Relay gold, 1994 (youngest Winter Olympic gold medalist ever)
  • Tania Vicent (Canada): 13 years old, Women’s 3000m Relay bronze, 1994
  • Lim Hyo-jun (South Korea): 16 years old, Men’s 500m gold, 2018

Oldest Medalists:

  • Tania Vicent (Canada): 34 years old, Women’s 3000m Relay silver, 2010
  • Cathy Turner (USA): 33 years old, Women’s 500m medals, 1992-1994
  • Charles Hamelin (Canada): 30+ years, competed across 4 Olympics

Most Olympic Appearances:

  • Charles Hamelin (Canada): 4 Olympics (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)
  • Arianna Fontana (Italy): 5 Olympics (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022)
  • Apolo Anton Ohno (USA): 3 Olympics (2002, 2006, 2010)

Sport Milestones:

  • First Olympic event: 1992 Albertville (four events, 2 men’s, 2 women’s)
  • Total events now: Nine individual events plus team relays
  • Mixed relay introduced: 2018 PyeongChang (team competition)
  • Viktor Ahn first to win gold in all four disciplines

FAQs

Who is the most decorated short track speed skater in Olympic history?

Arianna Fontana of Italy holds the record with 11 Olympic medals across five Winter Games (2006-2022), including 2 golds, 4 silvers, and 5 bronzes. She competed in multiple events and relays, establishing herself as one of the sport’s most versatile athletes. Viktor Ahn of Russia and Apolo Anton Ohno of the USA each earned 8 medals, but Fontana surpassed both with her longevity and consistency across multiple Olympics.

Which country dominates short track speed skating at the Olympics?

South Korea leads with 53+ total medals (26 golds, 14 silvers, 13 bronzes) since the sport became official in 1992. They’ve won medals at every Olympic Games and established dominance particularly in men’s events and team relays. China follows with 37 medals (12 golds), and Canada also has 37 medals (10 golds). South Korea’s success reflects systematic training programs and cultural emphasis on winter sports.

Who won short track speed skating at the 2022 Beijing Olympics?

Men: Ding Yang (China, 500m), Steven Dubois (Canada, 1000m), Shaoang Liu (Hungary, 1500m), Italy (3000m relay). Women: Arianna Fontana (Italy, 500m), Suzanne Schulting (Netherlands, 1000m/1500m), Netherlands (3000m relay). Schulting became the first woman to win four medals at a single short track Olympics, breaking records in all four events.

What events are in Olympic short track speed skating?

Nine individual events are contested: Men’s and Women’s 500m, 1000m, 1500m, plus Men’s and Women’s 3000m relay (women) and 5000m relay (men). Mixed team relays were added in 2018. Each event tests different racing strategies: the 500m emphasizes explosive power, the 1000m rewards speed and positioning, the 1500m demands endurance, and relays showcase teamwork and strategy.

When did short track speed skating become an official Olympic sport?

Short track speed skating became an official Olympic sport in 1992 at the Albertville Winter Olympics in France. Before 1992, it appeared as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Calgary Olympics, but results weren’t counted toward official Olympic statistics. The sport has been featured at every Winter Olympics since 1992, with the event program expanding from 4 to 9+ individual events.

Why is South Korea so dominant in short track speed skating?

South Korea’s dominance stems from several factors: systematic national training programs, cultural emphasis on winter sports achievement, consistent funding and coaching development, and early investment in the sport after it became official in 1992. The country has produced multiple generations of elite skaters and prioritizes short track as a medal-winning discipline at the Olympics, resulting in sustained excellence across decades.

What makes short track different from long track speed skating?

Short track is held on a 111-meter oval with multiple skaters racing head-to-head simultaneously, emphasizing tactical positioning and agility. Long track occurs on a 400-meter oval with skaters racing individually against the clock, focusing on consistent pacing and explosive power. Short track involves more contact, crashes, and strategic maneuvering. Long track rewards pure speed over a longer distance. Both are Olympic disciplines but appeal to different skating styles.

Has any short track skater won gold in all four disciplines?

Yes. Viktor Ahn of Russia became the first short track skater to win gold medals in all four disciplines (500m, 1000m, 1500m, and relay), achieving this feat across his Olympic career (1998-2014). He won 6 gold medals overall, more than any other male short track skater. His versatility across all distances remains unmatched in the sport’s Olympic history and demonstrates exceptional technical mastery.

Golam Muktadir
Golam Muktadir has led editorial strategy and sourcing standards at Surprise Sports since 2021. He oversees all player net worth profiles, tournament guides, and data verification across every major sport. His specialist areas include athlete earnings, sports salary data, basketball analysis, and championship history. Every figure on this site is published to the standards he established.