After its introduction as a demonstration sport at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, short track speed skating became a part of the Olympic programme in Albertville in 1992, with two individual races and two relays. Since the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, this discipline has included eight events, while the new mixed team relay was introduced at Beijing 2022.
Short track speed skating has grown significantly in Italy, with an outstanding representative in Arianna Fontana; the 11-time Olympic medallist is the most decorated Italian athlete in Olympic history and had the honour of carrying Italy's flag during the Opening Ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea.
Short track speed skating is becoming increasingly popular because it is so exciting! Because the track is so short, athletes skate on a curve for most of the race, and they must lean into the turns with their hand touching the ice. Collisions and falls are bound to happen, which is why the walls of the skating oval are padded and athletes wear protective gear.