#WorldShortTrack

The CNSG 2025 ISU World Short Track Championships Beijing got off to the most dramatic of starts on Friday with the qualification races throwing up storyline after storyline. 

The biggest headline-grabber came in the 2000m mixed team relay quarter-finals. 

Just three months after a Canadian quartet set the world record in the heats of the World Tour event in Beijing, an awesome Netherlands foursome comprising Xandra and Michelle Velzeboer plus Jens van ’t Wout and Teun Boer gave the Capital Indoor Stadium crowd another historic treat. 

Team Netherlands pictured after winning Mixed Team Relay gold at the ISU Short Track World Tour #6 in Milan, Italy © ISU

Reigning women’s 500m world record holder Xandra Velzeboer got the Dutch off to the perfect start, with an opening lap of 8.38 seconds. A mark described as “not normal” by delighted teammate Van ’t Wout. From there the team pushed on to finish in two minutes 35.339 seconds – the quickest mark of all-time by a margin 0.88 seconds. 

“Yeah, really crazy. It was a good race but we didn’t expect this,” Xandra Velzeboer said. “We were actually surprised when we looked on the board. But it’s really exciting.” 

In a sweet moment that underlined the extreme talent in the Velzeboer household, the elder sister then turned to hug her sibling and shout excitedly: “Your first world record.” 

Van ’t Wout was more than happy to let the women take center stage. 

“I mean our ladies were super fast… that really helped a lot, that got us a lot of margin on the old record and for Teun and me, we were just thinking to keep it a bit simple and a little less fast – but I guess we went pretty fast.” 

Jens van ’t Wout (NED) leads the pack in the 1500m quarterfinals at the CNSG 2025 ISU World Short Track Championships Beijing, China © ISU

The record sealed a great day for Van ’t Wout, who progressed serenely in all three individual distances, despite not aways having found life easy in Beijing. 

“I am adapting to this type of ice. It’s the complete opposite of what I am used to training on. So, I had to really adjust but it’s working now,” said the man who fell to the ice several times during the World Tour event in the Chinese capital in December, failing to win a single individual medal. 

Dandjinou survives scare to prosper

William Dandjinou (main picture, CAN) is another major medal contender who is yet to shine his brightest in the Capital Indoor Stadium. And for a moment it looked like the men’s world No.1 was going to suffer more heartbreak in the very first event of the Championships. 

William Dandjinou (CAN) at the CNSG 2025 ISU World Short Track Championships Beijing, China © ISU

In a stacked 1500m quarter-final featuring eight-time world champion Liu Shaoang (CHN), Olympic relay champion Maxime Laoun (CAN) and dangerous Latvian Reinis Berzins, Dandjinou found himself with plenty of work to do with just two laps to go. In attempting to slip up the inside of Berzins the Canadian then lost balance and almost hit the ice. As gasps went up in the crowd, somehow Dandjinou regained control, dug deep and managed to take the second of the two qualifying spots.

“Short Track, baby, that’s the only thing I have to say,” was a smiling Dandjinou’s assessment. Before he got a little more serious. 

“Maybe the Will from two months ago would’ve panicked but I’ve been in those situations before. Some cost yellow cards but I’ve learned from that. So, I try not to get in my head too much in races and stay patient (now), stay calm.” 

From there Dandjinou’s day got better and better. 

First up, he flew through the 500m preliminaries and heats, and did the same in the 1000m, plus the two relays. 

“It was good to feel the ice a little more, get the feel of the speed and everything,” he said ominously. “I am getting into my groove and having fun. Now focus on tomorrow.” 

‘Everyone has prepared their best and it’s showing’

Meanwhile, Roberts Kruzbergs’ (LAT) experiences summed up the wild nature of qualification day. Pushed into third in his 1500m quarter-final by 0.001 seconds – the smallest differentiator in the sport – the Latvian squeezed into the next round by being the fastest third-place finisher in the field. He repeated the nerve-wracking feat in the 500m heats, before the margins finally went against him in the preliminaries of the 1000m.  

Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT) pictured during the ISU Short Track World Tour earlier this season in Montreal, Canada © ISU

“The race was going good but the corner was a bit rough from the previous races and the ice broke,” Kruzbergs said of his misfortune in his favorite event. “Nothing you could do, things like this happen, not often but they do.

“It’s the World Championships and everyone has prepared their best and it’s showing.” 

Ups and downs on dramatic day

It was a good day however for most of Short Track’s biggest hitters. Republic of Korea’s major individual and team medal threats all sailed through their respective heats, as did the Canadians and the Dutch. 

Not so good for the Italians, with the strong women’s 3000m relay quartet eliminated at the quarter-final stage, while much to the crowd’s disappointment, China’s mixed relay team, the reigning Olympic and world champions, also failed to progress.

It was a troubling end to the day too for Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA). The newly crowned women’s Crystal Globe champion crashed heavily into Danae Blais (CAN) during the mixed team relay quarter-finals and was taken to hospital as a precaution. 

USA head coach Stephen Gough reported that, “while she is not seriously injured, she is pretty banged-up and whether she races tomorrow, we will make that decision in the morning”. 

Next stop: medals

It was left to Hanne Desmet (BEL) to sum up the feelings of many after an electrifying first day of racing. 

“World Championships are something else, everybody is a bit more nervous for the races,” Desmet said. “You want to do everything perfect.” 

Hanne Desmet (BEL) pictured at the ISU Short Track World Tour #6 in Milan, Italy © ISU

On Saturday she and the rest of the field will get their big chance to do just that, with the women’s 1000m and 3000m relay finals plus the men’s 1500m and 500m gold medal races. Do not miss it.  

Where to watch 

Viewers will be able to watch the CNSG ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships via their national broadcaster/channel.

For countries where there are no broadcasters and for the qualification and repechage races, the ISU will offer a live stream on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Find the full list on the Where to Watch webpage here.

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