ISU

 

In stats:

ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships, Gdansk (POL)  

Number of participants: 102

Number of nations: 25

Medal count: Netherlands 10, Italy 5, Belgium 5, Poland 2, Hungary 2, Latvia 1, Germany 1, Turkey 1

 

KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Championships, Seoul (KOR)

Number of participants: 124

Number of nations: 34

Medal count: Netherlands 8, Republic of Korea 6, Canada 6, Italy 4, China 2, Belgium 1

 

Sarault will also be highly satisfied with her performances, which were steadily effective, especially in Almalty (KAZ) and Dordrecht (NED). The 22-year-old is getting more versatile and savvy with each year, and looks a genuine contender for Schulting’s throne. She also shone at the ISU Four Continents Championships, leading the way for Canada’s medal charge.

 Courtney Sarault (CAN) poses at  ISU Four Continents Championships in Salt Lake City (USA) @ISU

In stats:

ISU Four Continents Short Track Championships, Salt Lake City (USA)

Number of participants: 69

Number of nations: 13

Medal count: Canada 10, Republic of Korea 7, USA 5, China 4, Japan 1

The other big winners in season 22/23? Xandra Velzeboer (NED), Hanne Desmet (BEL), and Kim Gilli (KOR).

Xandra Velzeboer (NED) celebrates during the 2023 ISU World Championships in Seoul (KOR) @ISU

Velzeboer has now arguably reached her teammate Schulting’s lofty levels, without quite having the consistency. Possessing unmatchable raw speed, she won the 500m and 1000m at the ISU World Championships, and would have finished much higher up the rankings without a disrupted mid-season.

Desmet finally translated years of potential and progress into results, finishing third in the standings, and grabbed her (and Belgium’s) first major Short Track gold medal at the ISU European Championships in Gdansk (POL), beating Schulting in the Netherlander’s strongest distance, the 1000m.

 

Hanne Desmet (BEL) poses during the 2023 ISU European Championships in Gdansk (POL) @ISU 

The 18-year-old Kim, meanwhile, proved to be the most thrilling young Korean skater for many years: in her debut senior season, the smart, technically gifted and lightning-quick racer picked up two individual ISU World Cup golds, two silvers and two bronzes. 

Kim Gilli (KOR) celebrates during the 2023 ISU World Cup in Dresden (GER) @ISU

She finished the year ranked fourth, and, having learned a huge amount from her teammate and friend Choi Min Jeong (KOR), will expect to improve further.

Choi, meanwhile, had a quiet term by her standards – and deliberately so, opting to take a longer summer break, post-Olympics – but was returning to her lethal best by the end of the season.

Park dominates Men’s season

The 2022/23 season was always going to be radically different in the Men’s field. 

Park Ji Won (KOR) celebrates during the ISU World Cup Dresden (KOR) @ISU

The dominant male skaters, Shaolin Sandor Liu, and his two-time World Champion brother Shaoang, took a year out as they switched nations from Hungary to China.

Also missing were Ren Ziwei (CHN) and Sun Long (CHN), both stars of Beijing 2022, and Hwang Daeheon of Korea, who, like Ren, won Olympic gold in China.

Many expected Dutch or Canadian skaters to fill the void and hoover up the medals in these superstar absences – but instead it was Park Ji Won (KOR) who took most of the spoils.

Park had been magnificent back in 2018/19 and 2019/20, but relatively quiet since. This year, however, he put the hammer down, winning races at every single ISU World Cup meeting, and looking almost unbeatable at the final three events in Almaty (KAZ), Dresden (GER) and Dordrecht (NED).

Especially in the 1000m and 1500m, his masterful tactics, passing ability and final-lap afterburners proved supreme. He lifted the Crystal Globe, 394 points ahead of the field, then went on to add ISU World Championship gold over both distances on home ice, sending the fans wild.

Hong Kyung Hwan (KOR) finished a distant second in the rankings but can still be more pleased with his season than most, especially in the pre-Christmas races. The ever-steady Canadians Pascal Dion and Steven Dubois also logged excellent seasons.

Perhaps happier than any of them however will be Pietro Sighel (ITA). The sprint specialist has been there-or-thereabouts in the top races for several years, without ever truly grabbing the limelight. 

Pietro Sighel (ITA) reacts at the 2023 ISU World Cup in Dresden (GER) @ISU

At the ISU World Championships, however, the 23-year-old was magnificent, winning ahead of a classy field in a wild, high-octane race. With an amazing turn of pace and a cool head, it was undoubtedly the greatest moment of his career so far – and one he will see as a springboard as an Olympic Winter Games in his homeland looms on the horizon.

Also notable were Lin Xiaojun (CHN), who returned after switching teams from Korea to China, and logged a couple of impressive 500m wins, and the breakthrough seasons for Jens van ’t Wout (NED),  Stijn Desmet (BEL), and Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT), who all recorded significant wins. 

Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT) competes during the 2023 ISU World Cup in Montreal (CAN) @ISU

Meanwhile, the stars of the future were on display at the ISU World Junior Short Track Championships in Dresden (GER). An impressive 37 countries entered teams. Kim Gilli again produced the goods for Korea, while Florence Brunelle (CAN) continued her excellent progress; Lee Donghyun (KOR), Shin Dong Min (KOR) and Lee Dongmin (KOR) impressed on the Men’s side.

In stats:

ISU World Junior Short Track Championships, Dresden (GER)  

Number of participants: 154

Number of nations: 37

Medal count: Republic of Korea 11, Canada 4, China 3, Poland 2, USA 2, Hungary 1, Japan 1

Overall, it will be Park and Schulting who can look back on 2022/23 with the most satisfaction. But, as ever in Short Track, they’ll need to be very aware of those coming up behind them if they want to stay at the summit of this sport.

Relive the action

The ISU Short Track Speed Skating events were live streamed on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. Note that geo-restrictions may apply in markets where TV rights are in place.

Subscribe to the Skating ISU YouTube Channel to receive alerts when the live streams start and when new videos are posted.