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2000 US Short Track Championships |
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The year 2000 marks the second time that the U.S. Short Track Championships have been held in the Boston area. (The first time was 1997.) This is a 3-day event, with 2 sets of time trials (9-lap and 4-lap races pursuit-style against the clock) held on Friday, 1500-meter and 500-meter pack-style races on Saturday, and 1000-meter and 3000-meter “superfinal” races on Sunday. There will also be unofficial “exhibition” relays on Sunday, to display this exciting part of the sport. At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the first time the 1500-meter race will be an official medal event, as well as the 500, 1000, and relays for men and ladies. You may be watching the same athletes who will compete for the United States in Salt Lake City in all of these events!
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2000 US Junior Elite Trials |
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Athletes age 19 and under who do not qualify in the time trials for the main event will be seeded into a Junior Elite Trials competition. The 1500-meter, 500-meter, 1000-meter, and 1500-meter “superfinal” races in this competition will be skated immediately after their counterparts in the Championship races.
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What Is At Stake? |
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This is the premier domestic event for most of these competitors. It is governed by U.S. Speedskating, the national governing body (NGB) for speedskating in the United States, and it is conducted according to the racing rules of the International Skating Union (ISU). The results will determine, for both men and ladies:
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The 2000 U.S. Short Track Champion (top point scorer after all 6 events).
The members of the U.S. World Championship Team (up to top 5 point scorers after 5 events,
excluding the “superfinal”). This team which will compete in:
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Short Track Basics |
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Short track speedskating races are fast and thrilling. In order to survive, skaters not only must possess a combination of incredible power and speed, but also must be masters of technique and strategy. It is also a mental game, as there is an disadvantage to “leading the pack”, due to wind resistance. (That is why, in the longer distances, races usually start slow, and then pick up speed later on.) Endurance is also a key factor in a skater’s success, as each competitor must advance through a series of quarterfinal heats, semifinals, and finals.
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Skaters race in heats of 4 to 6 competitors. This type of pack-style racing makes for the most exciting of all speedskating events. Racers must pass and maintain leads with the utmost precision or risk disqualification.
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The start is crucial to the skater, especially in the shorter distances, since the start is not staggered and a skater can move to the inside immediately. Position on the starting line is determined at random. Skaters must skate outside the “blocks” during the entire race, although a finger can skim the surface of the ice inside the blocks as long as the skater rounds the blocks.
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The skaters compete on a 111-meter oval within a 100-by-200-foot ice rink. This is different from long track speedskating, where two skaters at a time compete on a 400-meter oval, in separate lanes, and against the clock. In short track the skaters are racing against each other, so each turn and pass attempt will leave you breathless.
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The Rules |
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On the first day (Friday), all competitors will skate a 9-lap time trial against the clock. The 20 fastest times will determine which skaters qualify for the U.S. Championship races. These top 20 men and ladies will then skate 4-lap time trials, also on the first day. Points are awarded for the top 8 skaters in each time trial.
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On the second and third days, the pack-style racing takes place. All competitors skate a series of heats at each distance, leading to finals in which points are scored.
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In the 1500 meters, there are 3 heats of 6 or 7 skaters each. The top 2 finishers in each advance to the (“A”) final (there are no semifinals in the 1500), and the next 2 in each heat enter a consolation (“B”) final. Points are awarded to all finishers in both finals, starting with first place in the “A’ final, through last place in the “B” final.
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In the 500 and 1000 meters, there are 4 heats of 5 skaters each. The top 2 finishers in each heat advance to the semifinals. The top 2 finishers in each semifinal advance to the final, and the others enter a consolation final. Points are awarded to all finishers in both finals.
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After adding up all the points from the time trials and the 1500-meter, 500-meter, and 1000-meter races, the top 8 point scorers then race a 3000-meter “superfinal” (1500 meters for the Junior Elite division). Points from this race count toward the U.S. Championship, but not towards team selection, per U.S. Speedskating procedures.
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Disqualifications and Advancements |
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Skaters may be disqualified for a variety of infractions, which prevent them from advancing to the next round at a given distance, or, in the case of finals, from scoring points in that final. Passing must be done cleanly and without body contact. It is also illegal to impede another skater’s progress by passing too closely in front of the skater, or by changing lanes in an unnatural way (“cross tracking”). Other infractions include pushing or intentionally colliding with another skater, or kicking a skate at the finish line. Skaters are allowed one false start; the second in a given race disqualifies them. At the Chief Referee’s discretion, a skater, who is judged to have been in a position to advance to the next round in a heat or semifinal, but who is interfered with by another skater, may be “advanced” to the next round. There is no recompense for skaters who are “fouled” in a final, except that his or her finishing position may be improved by the disqualification of an offending skater. For this reason, short track afficionados recognize that “luck” can be a factor. Although the best and smartest racers seem to be able to “stay out of trouble” more often than not.
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Falls |
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Given the frequent contact and high speeds, falls are not uncommon in short track racing. Although a competitor is not disqualified for a fall, to come from behind and win after a fall in any individual event is nearly impossible. Unless, of course, the other skaters also fall or are disqualified. Skaters may do well in the final classification despite a poor performance in one or two distances by recording strong finishes in other individual events.
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Scoring |
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Winners are determined by order of finish, not by time (except in the time trials). Points are awarded in finals as follows: 1st place = 34, 2nd place = 21, 3rd place =13, 4th place = 8, 5th place = 5, 6th place =3, 7th place =2, 8th place =1. Disqualified skaters get no points. Skaters also get points, on the same scale, for finishes in heats and semifinals, but these are called “performance points” and are used only to break ties.
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Distances |
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500 meters = 4.5 laps 1000 meters = 9 laps 1500 meters = 13.5 laps 3000 meters = 27 laps |
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A bell warns skaters when the current leader has one lap remaining.
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