The 2023/24 season of the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series will commence at the Maurice-Richard Arena in Montreal, Canada, from 20-22 October, 2023. It is the first of an exciting double header in the Canadian city – the athletes return to the same venue the following weekend for another ISU World Cup meet. It will also be a triple-header in the region for many skaters: the ISU Four Continents Short Track Speed Skating Championships will take place in nearby Laval from 03-05 November, 2023.
The Maurice-Richard Arena, Montreal, Canada © ISU
In Montreal, Women and Men will compete for individual medals over 500m, 1000m, and 1500m, and there will be Women’s (3000m), Men’s (5000m), and Mixed Team (2000m) Relays. Canada usually performs with real fire on home ice. While local hero Kim Boutin (CAN) isn’t taking part – and Montreal’s finest Charles Hamelin (CAN) has retired – a new cohort of Canadian talent will be looking to take their place.
Courtney Sarault, Danae Blais, Florence Brunelle and Rikki Doak will be in contention for the Women, while Pascal Dion, Jordan Pierre-Gilles, Maxime Laoun and Steven Dubois – all Relay gold medalists at Beijing 2022 – will battle for supremacy in the Men’s races.
Rikki Doak (CAN) competes at the ISU World Cup Short Track in Montreal, Canada in 2019 © ISU
Sarault (CAN) and Velzeboer (NED) step up
Over the past decade, Women’s Short Track has been dominated by a handful of names: Republic of Korea’s Choi Min Jeong has been World Champion four times; Suzanne Schulting (NED) has grabbed the title twice, plus the inaugural ISU Crystal Globe last season. Only Elise Christie (GBR) and Shim Suk-Hee (KOR) – in 2017 and 2014, respectively – have truly broken the overall dominance of those two greats.
Choi Minjeong (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
That’s about to change: Choi and Schulting don’t line up for the start of this season; Christie has retired, while other big names including Arianna Fontana (ITA) and Boutin also aren’t participating. The rink is clear, in other words, for new names to dominate.
The Quebec locals will be hoping Sarault can be the woman to do it. The 23-year-old surprised even herself last season with her post-Olympics consistency, and finished second behind Schulting in the overall standings. Always in the running in the 1000m and 1500m, Sarault is trying to gain points in the 500m too. With sprint success, she will be a good bet for this year’s Globe. Freed from the daunting task of trying to beat Schulting, Sarault however now finds herself with another quicksilver Dutch woman to try to overcome.
Courtney Sarault (CAN) wins gold in the 1000m at the ISU World Cup Short Track in Dordrecht, Netherlands, in 2023 © ISU
Xandra Velzeboer (NED) was World Champion in the 500m and 1000m last season, and would have surely rivaled Schulting for the Globe had she not suffered a mid-season injury. On her day, Velzeboer looked miles better than the competition – getting meters of ice ahead of the field when in full flow. Add consistency to her game, and a career arc like Schulting and Choi’s is within her grasp.
The 500m and 1000m World Champion, Xandra Velzeboer (NED) © ISU
Kim Gilli (KOR) meanwhile needs to show that an exhilarating debut season wasn’t a fluke. At her best, the combination of technical brilliance and raw speed was reminiscent of Choi in her pomp. Again, consistency is key – find that, and she can be Korea’s next star.
Elsewhere, Shim, Hanne Desmet (BEL), and Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA) are all capable of topping the podium in Quebec.
The start of the season is traditionally a time that throws up a few unexpected results, meanwhile. Savvy Pole Kamila Stormowska (POL), Xandra’s talented sister Michelle Velzeboer (NED), and speedy American Corinne Stoddard (USA) have all shown the potential to make waves at this level, moving up from the middle of the pack to the very top.
Corinne Stoddard (USA) leads the pack in the 1500m at the 2023 KB Financial Group ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Seoul, Rep. Korea © ISU
Canada vs. the world
Last year in Montreal at the season’s curtain raiser, Canada’s men produced a note-perfect performance. Steven Dubois (CAN) won the 500m with a blistering display, while Pascal Dion (CAN) secured gold in the 1000m (2) – and was like a rocket all weekend. Both skaters tend to start seasons quickly, and, having grown in experience, versatility and ability, will be looking to secure the ISU Crystal Globe, sponsored by Dunamu, this year (read more here). Jordan Pierre-Gilles is also progressing fast, while Maxime Laoun is a wily campaigner. Finding glory on home ice will be tougher than ever, however.
Canada's Steven Dubois during the ISU World Cup Short Track in 2022 in Almaty, Kazakhstan © ISU
Shaoang and Shaolin Sandor Liu (CHN) are back, skating for China rather than Hungary, and will be seeking to make an immediate impression having been out for a year. Their explosive teammate Lin Xiaojun (CHN) is also returning in style after switching teams from Korea.
The 2022/23 ISU Crystal Globe winner, Park Ji Won (KOR), meanwhile will be determined to prove he is no one-season wonder. Park was sensational in Montreal 12 months ago, and has the ability to win across the distances. He spearheads a multi-talented Republic of Korea squad also including serial winner Hwang Dae Heon.
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
Bullish Latvian Roberts Kruzbergs made his breakthrough in Short Track at the Maurice-Richard in 2022, meanwhile, grabbing his first ISU World Cup gold in the 1000m (1) on the famously fast ice.
Elsewhere, Jens van ’t Wout (NED), Teun Boer (NED), Lin Xiaojun (CHN), Pietro Sighel (ITA), and Stijn Desmet (BEL) can be expected to be in contention.
And surprise packages? Maybe this is the year that powerful Turk Furkan Akar (TUR), the young Brit Niall Treacy (GBR), Poland’s talented Diane Sellier (POL), or the USA’s swift Andrew Heo (USA) step up from being contenders to consistent finalists. A fascinating first weekend in Quebec will give us some pointers.
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.
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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
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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.
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