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World and Olympic records are slightly different in Short Track to other disciplines. In Speed Skating, as in athletics, swimming, or track cycling, records are a huge deal. Becoming the fastest 500m or 5000m racer ever is an honour that bring enormous kudos.

In Short Track, a little less attention is given to the time on the clock. After all, this sport can often see cat-and-mouse races which start out slowly and building to a crescendo. Racers would rather win a medal than beat their best time.

Having said that, skaters do love breaking targets. There have been plenty of 500m, 1000m, 1500m and relay races that have gone flat out from the gun, and any World Record is greeted with wild celebrations.

Canadian medal hope Steven Dubois (front) has stated how much he'd like to break the World Record in the shortest distance, the 500m © ISU 

A record time is especially coveted in the 500m, which is usually a flat-out race with no real scope for slower early laps. Steven Dubois (CAN), for one, has recently stated how much he’d like to shatter the target.

Certain conditions favour World Records. Calgary (CAN) and Salt Lake City (USA) both lay claim to numerous quickest times, thanks to having ‘fast ice’. Both cities are at altitude, meaning air resistance is thinner, and both rinks have precise environmental control of their ice, which makes it as rapid as possible.

The current record holders in the 500m are Xandra Velzeboer (NED), who has recorded 41.416 seconds, and Wu Dajing (CHN) in the men’s race, who has clocked 39.584.

Xandra Velzeboer (NED) on her way to breaking the 500m Short Track record in Salt Lake City in November 2022 © ISU 

Velzeboer broke the record on the famously fast ice of Salt Lake City in November 2022, while Dajing recorded one of the finest sporting moments of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games when he set his time – also an Olympic record.

The 1000m records are held by Suzanne Schulting (NED), pictured above, who is arguably the best 1000m racer of all time and who recorded 1:26:514 at Beijing 2022 (another Olympic record). The men’s mark is held by another current skater, Hwang Daeheon (KOR), who recorded 1:20:875 at Salt Lake in 2016.

Hwang Daeheon's  1000m World Record dates back to 2016, but the Korean, seen here alongside Jens vant 'T Wout (NED) is still a medal prospect © ISU 

In the 1500m, Choi Minjeong (KOR) holds the women’s record of 2:14:354 – again done in Utah – while the recently retired Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands holds the fastest men’s time, 2:07:943, set back in 2016 in Salt Lake, at the same race meeting as Hwang’s mark.

Hungary have the men’s 5000m record, set in Calgary in November 2018, while Netherlands have the women’s 3000m relay, set in Beijing in 2021.

Liu Shaoang (CHN, front) holds the Olympic Record for the 1500m, set in his home games at Beijing 2022© ISU 

Remarkably, all the current Olympic records, apart from two, were set at Beijing 2022. Hwang set the 1000m record (1.23.042), and Liu Shaoang clocked the fastest 1500m ever – 2.09.213. Suzanne Schulting broke the 500m and 1000m barriers (42.379 and 1.26.514), Choi took the 1500m time (2.16.831) and the Netherlands women broke the 3000m relay record (4.03.409).

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