The International Skating Union (ISU) is proud to announce its new partnership with Dunamu, a leading fintech and blockchain company based in Seoul (KOR), acting as the “ISU Official Partner” of the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series for the season 2023/24, as well as “Presenting Partner” of the ISU Crystal Globe, which will crown the 2023/2024 overall Champions in Gdansk (POL) on February 16-18, 2024.
The ISU President, Jae Youl Kim, is delighted to welcome Dunamu within the dynamic world of Short Track Speed Skating in a unique collaboration that sets out to enhance the ISU World Cup Short Track Series with a forward-looking and innovative approach.
"The ISU is thrilled to collaborate with Dunamu. Together, we will enhance the global promotion of Short Track Speed Skating and embody the spirit of innovation", states the ISU President.
Dunamu Inc. is a leading fintech and blockchain company based in Seoul, South Korea. Founded in 2012, Dunamu specializes in creating safe and credible investment platforms for everyone. Dunamu's service portfolio includes Upbit, the largest digital asset exchange in Korea, Upbit NFT, Stockplus, Stockplus Unlisted and SecondBlock, a metaverse platform. As one of the most experienced companies in the sector, Dunamu remains committed to pioneering fintech innovation as well as fostering sound growth of the blockchain ecosystem.
A 2023/24 season with returns and withdrawals
After a year’s absence from the sport, two of the biggest names in Short Track Speed Skating, Shaoang and Shaolin Sandor Liu (CHN), return to the competitive rink, wearing the red of China rather than their previous Hungarian kit.
Shaoang Liu (CHN), photographed before racing at the 2020 ISU European Short Track Championships in Debrecen, Hungary © ISU
The brothers are two of the most entertaining, successful and talented skaters of the past decade. Their decision to switch teams – they have a Chinese father and are fluent in Mandarin – has caused huge excitement in Asia, where they are major stars. This move could enable China to edge ahead of traditional powerhouse Republic of Korea in the Men’s field.
Shaolin Sandor Liu (CHN) in 2021 during the ISU World Cup Short Track in Dordrecht, Netherlands © ISU
In the Women’s competition, meanwhile, it is the absence of key names that is the biggest headline. Suzanne Schulting (NED) has decided to take a break, after two exhausting Olympic cycles during which she has achieved just about everything possible in Short Track – Olympic golds, World Championship titles, World records and the securing of the first ever ISU Crystal Globe last year. In addition, four-time overall World Champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist Choi Min Jeong (KOR) also doesn’t line up.
Both athletes will no doubt return sharper than ever: in the meantime, the Women’s field looks wide open for new stars to shine.
Choi Min Jeong (left, KOR) and Suzanne Schulting (NED) compete at the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2023 in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU
Rivals look to break Korean Men’s supremacy
The Republic of Korea dominated the Men’s Short Track last season, with Park Ji Won (KOR) the standout star. Park won races at every ISU World Cup event, looking almost unbeatable at the final three in Almaty (KAZ), Dresden (GER) and Dordrecht (NED). He lifted the Crystal Globe 394 points ahead of the field, then went on to add World Championship gold on home ice in the 1000m and the 1500m.
Park Ji Won (KOR) celebrates victory in the 1000m final at the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2023 in Seoul, Rep. Korea. © ISU
Beijing 2022 gold medalist Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) also returns to the fold after missing the squad cut last year. On top of that, the Korean squad boasts strength in depth like no other nation – with new names cropping up at the top of the podium every season, like clockwork. The world’s top Short Track nation will expect nothing less than the same again this time around.
Hwang Dae Heon (KOR) wins the 1000m final at the ISU World Cup Short Track in Debrecen, Hungary, 2021 © ISU
Their regional rivals China look well positioned to topple this dominance in 2023/24, however. With the Liu brothers, they have added two of the biggest names in Short Track. Shaoang was overall World Champion in 2022 before taking that year out, claiming gold in all three individual distances at that event. At the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, he grabbed Hungary’s first ever individual Winter Olympic gold medal, in the 500m.
Elder sibling Shaolin has two World Championship gold medals, and has shared Olympic gold with his brother as part of the Hungarian Men’s 5000m Relay team in 2018, and bronze at Beijing 2022 when the two were among Hungary’s Mixed 2000m Relay medal-winners. The two come as an inseparable package – working and blocking for each other on the ice – and will now bring a solid spine to China’s Relay team, as well as individual podium threats over every distance.
Also bolstering the China set-up is 2019 World Champion Lin Xiaojun (CHN). He lifted that title when skating for his birth country of Korea, before switching nations last term, and has started to show signs of his former combative excellence. Add in the formidable Sun Long (CHN), and this is a squad to be reckoned with.
Canada will also have a say in proceedings, however. Steven Dubois, Pascal Dion, Jordan Pierre-Gilles and Maxime Laoun (CAN) are all improving, year-on-year, with Dubois and Dion looking in the running for the Crystal Globe title.
Canada's Steven Dubois during the ISU World Cup Short Track in Almaty, Kazakhstan, 2022 © ISU
The Dutch production line of young talent equally looks set to continue: Jens van ’t Wout (NED) and Teun Boer (NED) both had stellar moments in 2022/23.
Also in contention will be Italian speedster Pietro Sighel, Latvian powerhouse Roberts Kruzbergs, robust Belgian Stijn Desmet (BEL) as well as tricky Kazakh Denis Nikisha.
Young guns vie to take title in Schulting’s absence
For now, the queen of the Short Track ice is out of the picture: Suzanne Schulting won the inaugural ISU Crystal Globe last season, finishing way ahead of the field. But with the Dutch great not competing in the first couple of events at least – and Choi also missing – the door is open to the rest of the field to go for the Globe this time around.
Canada’s Courtney Sarault seems the most likely to step up. Sarault finished second in the overall ranking last season, and, like Schulting, is a solid all-rounder – brilliant in the 1000m and in the 1500m, and trying to gain points in the sprint, too.
Courtney Sarault (CAN) with her Women's 1000m bronze at the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Championships 2023 in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU
She will face hot competition from Xandra Velzeboer (NED). The 22-year-old has emerged as a serious rival to Schulting, winning the 500m and the 1000m at last season’s World Championships (read more here), and would have finished much higher up the ISU Crystal Globe overall rankings without a disrupted mid-season.
Xandra Velzeboer (NED) at the KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2023 in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU
Hanne Desmet (BEL) also enjoyed a breakthrough season, winning Belgium’s first major international Short Track gold medal Belgium’s first major international Short Track gold medal (at the European Championships in Gdansk, Poland), and is versatile enough to compete for the Crystal Globe.
Kim Gilli (KOR) will also be looking to continue an impressive upward trajectory. Considered by many in Korea as the eventual heir to Choi’s throne, she picked up two individual World Cup golds, two silvers and two bronzes in an impressive debut senior season.
Elsewhere, the lightning-quick Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA) and experienced Shim Suk-Hee (KOR) can stage a bid for the Globe. Natalia Maliszewska (POL) will be a threat in the 500m.
Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA) at the ISU World Cup Short Track, 2022, in Almaty, Kazakhstan © ISU
All in all, the Women’s field, for the first time in many years, looks as unpredictable as the Men’s – which can only be a good thing for fans of one of the most thrilling sports on ice.
For full entry lists and further information about the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series, please visit webpage here.
All Media Accreditations details and deadlines for the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series can be found here.
World Cup Classification - Men
Overall World Cup Classification
World Cup Classification - Women
Overall World Cup Classification
World Cup Classification – Mixed Relay
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch the Saturday and Sunday afternoon (local time) World Cup sessions via their national broadcaster/channel.
For countries where there are no broadcasters and for the qualification and repechage races, the ISU will offer a live stream on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. You will find the full list on the Where to watch webpage here.
Subscribe to the ISU YouTube Channel to receive all the latest videos and follow the conversation with #ShortTrackSkating.
ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series events 2023/24:
Oct 20 - 22, 2023 Montréal /CAN
Oct 27 - 29, 2023 Montréal /CAN
Dec 08 - 10, 2023 Beijing /CHN
Dec 15 - 17, 2023 Seoul /KOR
Feb 09 - 11, 2024 Dresden /GER
Feb 16 - 18, 2024 Gdansk /POL
Stay connected with the ISU:
ISU Website: ISU News
ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series
ISU Newsletter: Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter to get the latest news and press releases
About ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series
The ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022. Launched in 1997/98, the Series usually consists of six events (four during an Olympic season) that take place in North America, Europe and Asia.
The competitions have a single distance character across nine distances (500, 1000 and 1500 meters for Women and Men, Women 3000 meters Team Relay, Men 5000 meters Team Relay and a Mixed Gender Relay over 2000 meters). In 2022, the series introduced an Overall World Classification based on an accumulation of points from all individual distances which ultimately determine a Combined Season Ranking and a Season Champion in the Women and Men categories. These Champions are awarded with the ISU World Cup Short Track Crystal Globe Trophy.
Each competition is held over three days (day 1 is dedicated to all Qualifying Rounds, days 2 and 3 consist of the last Qualifying Rounds followed by the World Cup sessions). For the Mixed Gender Relay Teams (2 Women & 2 Men), the Women 3000 meters Relay races and Men 5000 meters Relay races a maximum of four Skaters shall compete and must belong to the same ISU Member. For further information please visit isu.org.
.png)