Cathy Turner starts the Short Track party, Albertville 1992 

Short Track Speed Skating made its Olympic debut in France in 1992, and the crowds immediately grasped the appeal of this wild sport. Cathy Turner helped: the American won the first ever women’s Olympic gold medal in the discipline in style, with scandal and a photo finish. Turner was an amazing character: she had been US champion in 1979, but left the sport for nine years – becoming a singer – before returning to try to make the Olympics. 

She succeeded, and the 500m final was controversial. Zhang Yanmei (CHN) accused Turner of grabbing her leg but the judges deemed it legal, and the glory was Turner’s. “It still feels like a dream,” she says. “When I arrived home, there were thousands of people at the airport to celebrate my return. Then came parades, appearances and non-stop travel all over the country.” Short Track had arrived. 

Steven Bradbury’s ‘complete chaos’, Salt Lake City 2002 

Twenty-three years on from the Salt Lake City 2002 Games and Steven Bradbury’s crazy, iconic Olympic moment remains the greatest of the lot – and an incident that sums up the delightful madness of Short Track. Lining up in the 1000m final at those Games, Bradbury was expected to come fifth: he faced Korean genius Ahn Hyun-Soo (aka Viktor An), USA legend Apolo Anton Ohno, 1998 silver medallist Li Jiajun (CHN) and the talented Mathieu Turcotte (CAN). 

 

“I was quite far behind the other four guys with two laps to go,” remembers Bradbury. “And then there was complete chaos.” Li tried to pass Ohno, hitting the deck and wiping out An and Turcotte in the process. Bradbury glided past the pile-up, equally bemused and elated. It was Australia’s first Winter Games gold. Bradbury became a household name overnight and has since become an Olympic commentator and entertainer. 

Republic of Korea show they are the Olympic kings, Torino 2006

The Koreans had already enjoyed some pretty spectacular performances at Olympic Winter Games – but Torino 2006 was the event where they took their dominance of the sport to another level, winning six of the available eight gold medals. Ahn Hyun-Soo and Jin Seon-Yu won two titles apiece, but the men’s 5000m was the definitive moment. Click here to watch.

A quartet of Ahn, Lee Ho-Seok, Seo Ho-jin and Song Suk-woo were in scintillating form, shattering the Olympic record, and making a late pass on a much-fancied Canada team – including a young Charles Hamelin, to claim the title and put down a marker in the sport.

Liu brothers make Hungarian history, PyeongChang 2018  

Liu Shaoang and Liu Shaolin are two of Short Track’s most charismatic and exciting skaters. The pair, who have a Chinese father and a Hungarian mother, often work together on the ice and celebrate each other’s victories as if they are their own. Back in 2018, they were on a singular mission: to bring Hungary its first ever gold at the Olympic Winter Games in any sport. 

The Hungarian team – also including Viktor Knoch and Csaba Burjan – worked tirelessly on their 5000m relay tactics and changeovers and, in PyeongChang, after the home nation crashed, it all paid off. Shaoang brought home the anchor leg in fine fashion. “When he crossed the line in the first position, I wanted to go mental, we were screaming and shouting, hugging everyone, it was super crazy,” his brother said. The pair are still going strong, now competing for China.

Fontana becomes Italy’s greatest, Beijing 2022

Arianna Fontana went into Beijing 2022 attempting something remarkably difficult: at the age of 31, at her fifth Winter Games, she was looking to become Italy’s most successful Olympian. The Italian legend faced an absolutely stacked field in the 500m final: the world record holder Kim Boutin (CAN); Suzanne Schulting (NED), who had dominated the season before; the brilliant Hanne Desmet (BEL) and hometown hero Zhang Yutin (CHN). Watch the moment here.

Fontana produced the race of a lifetime. She stalked the supremely powerful Schulting before executing a sublime overtake on the penultimate lap. “It was my best pass ever, and it was in the final at the Olympics and my favorite race, it was incredible,” Fontana said. She had retained her 500m gold, winning it at the third successive Games. Silver in the 1500m meant she had claimed the title as Italy’s most-decorated Winter Olympian. She also holds the record for most medals won by a Short Track athlete at the Olympic Winter Games. Now 35, she goes again at her home Games, Milano-Cortina 2026.

Watch all Short Track World Tour to follow along as the skaters battle to qualify for the Olympics!