Short Track

Short Track Criteria

Find out about the Olympic Oval's Elite Athlete Pathway, information, and admission criteria.

Competitions Athlete Bursary

The Olympic Oval is a high-performance training center that provides an elite training environment for Canadian and international speed skaters. As an ISU Centre of Excellence based out of Calgary, Canada, the Olympic Oval offers a demanding and highly structured training program that aims to develop athletes that will become competitive on the national and international stage.

Our full-time program, the Elite Athlete Pathway, is geared toward athletes aged 14+. It offers 11 months of training (May-March), which include over 16 hours of training per week in the Olympic Oval, a world-class sports facility, an equipment technician, mental performance and nutritional support, and access to physiotherapy and medical treatments from the Sports Medicine Clinic of the University of Calgary.

Group Formation

To create a competitive environment geared towards high performance, the Olympic Oval has developed new criteria that must be achieved to join the program. However, entry to the Oval ST (Short Track) program is not guaranteed, even if the athlete has achieved the minimum time standard required. The Oval program will make decisions based on the overall profile of each athlete and their ability to commit to and perform within the program.

About

Training groups are based off specific criteria with the goal to maximize training efficiency. Age, athlete development, and results are taken into consideration. Group formations are not set in stone but take individual factors into consideration. 

Group A – 16 Athletes

  1. Top six male + top six female athletes according to 2022-2023 national ranking
  2. Four discretionary positions based on athletic abilities and fit within the group

Group B – up to 24 athletes

  1. Current program athletes have priority*
  2. Remaining positions available to be filled according to the applications received
  3. If more than 24 athletes, athletes will be ranked based on times submitted and the strength of each candidate.
  4. This does not include part-time/drop-in athletes.

    *Does not imply automatic re-admission

Important Notes

It is important to note that although there are two training groups, these are not fixed. Due to varying school schedules and long-track training, it is possible for some athletes to alternate between both groups. These will be on a case-by-case basis and decided by the coaches.

Full-Time Athlete Application Requirements

Below is the full information regarding admission into the Short Track Oval Program. It is important to note that achievements in time standards do not guarantee admission into the program.

T2T 13 (Junior C1)

  • Locally based athletes only at this age
  • Achievement of time standards listed below
    • 2x 400m time requirement (based on the Junior 14-15 time standards)
  • Video recording of one of the following
    • In-training speed lap
    • In-competition race
  • Gap assessment document filled out by your current coach
  • Possibility of joining the drop-in program if not ready to commit to the full-time program

Junior 14-15 (Junior C2 & B1)

  • Achievement of time standards listed below
    • 3x 500m (or 3x 400m) time requirement
    • Will consider athletes who demonstrate time progression during the season
  • For new skaters/out-of-province skaters, provide a video recording of one of the following:
    • In-training speed lap
    • In-competition race
  • Gap assessment document filled out by your current coach

Junior 16-19 (Junior B2 - A2)

  • Achievement of time standards listed below
    • 2x 500m + 2x 1500m
  • For new skaters/out-of-province skaters, provide a video recording of one of the following:
    • In-training speed lap
    • In-competition race
  • Gap assessment document filled out by your current coach

Neo Senior +

  • Achievement of time standards listed below
    • 2x 500m + 2x 1500m
  • For new skaters/out-of-province skaters, provide a video recording of one of the following:
    • In-training speed lap
    • In-competition race
  • Gap assessment document filled by your current coach

Time Standards Women

Note:
Jr. 14-15 time standards are 18% of the current Jr. World Record.
Jr. 16-19 time standards are 14% of the current Jr. World Record.
Neo + time standards are 14% of the current World Record.
 

Women 400m 500m 1500m
Jr. 14-15 43.00 50.99 ----
Jr. 16-19 ---- 49.26 2:38.11
Neo + ---- 47.21 2:33.16

 

Time Standards Men

Note:
Jr. 14-15 time standards are 18% of the current Jr. World Record.
Jr. 16-19 time standards in the 500m are 14% of the current Jr. World Record.
Jr. 16-19 time standards in the 1500m are 12% of the current Jr. World Record.
Neo Senior + time standards in the 500m are 14% of the current World Record.
Neo Senior + time standards in the 1500m are 14% of the current World Record.

Men 400m 500m 1500m
Jr. 14-15 41.50 47.59 ----
Jr. 16-19 ---- 45.98 2:29.17
Neo ---- 45.03 2:23.29

 

  • Each athlete must provide proof of successful time standards achievement within the past 12 months by giving the name, date, and location of the competition where each time was achieved and must include a link to the results web page or a screenshot/image of the results.
  • Time standards must be achieved each year and are subject to change based on the strength of the group and the number of applicants.
     
  • Time standards will be published in February of the previous season.

For skaters to be able to pursue their education and train at a world-class facility is incredibly rare. It is unique to the Olympic Oval, being on the University of Calgary campus.

Jonathan Guilmette

Manager, High-Performance Sport