Short track competitions take place on a 111.12-meter oval, laid out on an indoor rink that is 60 meters long by 30 meters wide (approximately 196 feet long by 98 feet wide). There are no lanes. Only the turns are delineated, with seven markers per turn.

Individual competitions begin with 32 athletes in the 500m and 1000m, and 36 athletes in the 1500m, skating between five and seven at a time from a mass (simultaneous) start. Athletes travel counter-clockwise and the first two (or three, in the case of the 1500m) across the finish line advance to the next round. Depending on the nature of any disqualifications, sometimes more than the standard number advance.

A maximum of eight teams compete in the men’s and women’s relays. In the mixed relay, which first was contested at the 2022 Winter Olympics, 12 teams participate.

The 2026 Winter Olympics include nine short track events: Four for men, four for women and the mixed 2000m relay. The events are:

The 500m is an all-out sprint; a good start is critical. 

In the 1000m, tactics increasingly are important. 

The 1500m requires great stamina and strategy, since the heats, quarterfinals, semifinals and final are contested during a single day and each race almost is a mile long. 

The relays consist of teams of four skaters, each of whom take the ice for a quarter of the total distance of the race. Team members not currently racing wait in the center of the oval until they are ready to skate. Exchanges involve a firm push from behind in order to transfer momentum from one skater to the next.

The number of laps short track skaters race varies depending on the event. The lap counts are as follows:

500m, 1000m and 1500m

Although there are no lane markers in short track, the skaters must line up at the start according to a number selected at random just before they take the ice. Skater No. 1 takes the innermost position (closest to the infield) and the rest work their way outward in numerical order. In the 500m and 1000m, the best start numbers are 1 and 2 because it’s easier to get to the first turn with slightly less traffic.

To determine who skates in each heat, officials rely on skaters’ World Cup rankings for the current season in each distance. As skaters are eliminated, those who advance are re-ranked in the same order of their World Cup placement. 

If skaters from the same country fall into the same heat before the final, the competitors’ steward has the authority to shift people to prevent this from occurring. Since the International Skating Union (ISU) appoints the competitor’s steward, he/she is supposed to be unbiased.

Relay

To determine the composition of each relay race, officials use World Cup rankings from the 2017-18 season. Group one consists of teams with odd-numbered rankings. Group two consists of the even-numbered rankings.

Because Olympic short track is about crossing the finish line first, the winners aren’t determined by points or scoring. Instead, each race is timed to the thousandth of a second — making it, along with luge, one of the most precisely timed events at the Winter Games. 

The 500m and 1000m events have identical formats. In the end, the medalists skate four races:

First round: Heats of five skaters each. Two skaters from each heat advance. Barring any disqualifications, the first two finishers advance.

Quarterfinals: Races of four skaters each. Two skaters from each heat advance. Barring any disqualifications, the first two finishers advance.

Semifinals: Two races of four skaters. First- and second-place skaters from each race (a total of four) advance to the A final to vie for medals. Third- and fourth- place skaters from each race (a total of four) advance to the B final to determine placement.

A or B final: The A final is one race of four skaters to decide places one through four. The B final is one race of four skaters to decide places five through eight. 

In the 1500m event, the medalists only skate three races.

Quarterfinals: Four races of seven skaters each. Three skaters from each race advance. Barring any disqualifications, the first three finishers advance.

Semifinals: Three races of six skaters. First- and second-place skaters from each race (a total of six) advance to the A final to vie for medals. Third- and fourth-place skaters from each race (a total of six) advance to the B final to determine placement.

A or B final: The A final is one race of six skaters to decide places one through six. The B final is one race of six skaters to decide places seven through 12. 

In any of the events, it is possible for someone from the B final to win a medal, if enough people from the A final are disqualified. For instance, in a 500m final, if two of the four A finalists are disqualified, the winner of the B final would receive the third-place ranking and the bronze medal. Disqualified skaters are not ranked.

The men's and women's relays are two-day competitions featuring eight teams from eight different nations. Each team consists of four skaters. The total women’s distance is 3000m; the total men’s distance is 5000m. Each team competes in two races: a semifinal and a final.

First round (semifinal): Two races with four teams per race. Each team can be composed of any four of the five skaters originally named. Each of the four team members must take part in the race. A competitor may be relayed at any time except during the last two laps. These laps must be skated by one skater except in the case of a fall. The fastest-two teams from each race advance to the A final to vie for medals. Third- and fourth-place teams contest the B final to determine placement. 

A final: One race of four teams determines places one through four

B final: One race of four teams determines places five through eight

Each round of the mixed team relay takes place on the same day. The mixed relay features 12 teams of four skaters each. The total distance is 2000m. Each team contests three races: a quarterfinal, a semifinal and a final.

Quarterfinal: Three races of four teams each. Each of the four team members must take part in the race. A competitor may be relayed at any time except during the last two laps. These laps must be skated by one skater except in the case of a fall, in which case the segment must be completed by a team member of the same gender. The two teams to cross the finish line first from each quarterfinal advance to the semifinal. The two third-place teams with the best times also qualify.

Semifinal: Two races of four teams each. The two best teams from each semifinal qualify for Final A, while the third- and fourth-ranked teams move on to Final B to determine placement.

A final: One race of four teams determines places one through four

B final: One race of four teams determines places five through eight

In the relays, skaters contest 1½ to 2 laps apiece and take multiple turns on the ice. Each of the four skaters on a team must skate at least once. The number of laps each athlete takes is up to the team. The only requirement is that the same person take the last two laps (if the final skater falls, he may be relayed). 

Changeovers are performed at high speeds and generally are done on the straightaways. A legal exchange is executed by an obvious touch anywhere on the body. The ideal exchange transfers momentum smoothly from the moving skater to the skater just starting. The final exchange must begin in an area before the finish line (with two laps to go). If the exchange begins too late, the team is disqualified. If the incoming skater isn’t going to make it in time, the penultimate skater must finish the race. If a racer falls in the relay, a teammate can take over as long as the skaters touch. Teams don’t have to use the same skaters in the final as they use in the semifinal. The relay rosters actually consist of five athletes per team, allowing room for substitution in the final.