Shrot Track Speedskating Olympic Preview
Posted 6/22/2009
Men and women's short-track speedskating is the type of sport where you can't bear to look away because something is bound to happen.
There are typically between four and six skaters lined up and they skate around a very short oval track.
Because of the close quarters and small track size, competitors are constantly battling for position and crashes are commonplace.
While speed skating has long been a Winter Olympic sport, the short track version was not accepted until 1992.
Since that time, the sport has become both more popular with fans and has expanded from four to eight events.
South Korea, Canada, China, the United States, Italy and Japan are all major threats for Olympic medals. In the 2006 Winter Olympics, South Korea won the most medals in the short track speed skating events.
For the United States, they are led by Apolo Anton Ohno, who has won multiple gold medals. He is expected to make another return in the 2010 Winter Olympics and try to pad his career medal count.