The secret to winning a short track speed skating race

Speed skating legend Apolo Ohno explains his “perfect race.”
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To the layperson, watching a short track speed skating race is awe-inspiring - but it’s difficult to decipher the strategy guiding all the jostling around the rink. Behind the superhuman turns and sprints are calculated moves to control the pack.
Apolo Ohno is probably being humble when he says that he was not the fastest skater when he entered the 500m short track finals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. But he makes that claim to emphasize the strategy - and the little bit of luck - that played into that gold medal win. That’s why he has always referred to that event as the “perfect race” in short track speed skating.
I learned a lot from retired US Olympic speed skater John Coyle’s website, and I interviewed John for this story.
johnkcoyle.com/blog/2010/02/1...
I also learned a lot from former US Olympic speed skating coach Sue Ellis’s website:
www.ellismethod.net/
The New York Times covered the way short track speed skaters bodies are shaped, because of the constant counterclockwise turns:
www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/sp...
Retired Australian speed skater Steven Bradbury spun off his unlikely gold medal win into both a book and a beer company by the name of “Last Man Standing”:
lmsbrewing.com.a
books.google.com/books/about/...
I interviewed physics professor Rhett Allain about the physics of short track speed skating. He has written for Wired about the sport:
www.wired.com/2014/02/fast-ca...
This is the second video of 5 videos from our channel's winter sports theme week. From aerodynamics to concussions to climate change, we covered cold-weather athleticism from a bunch of angles. Watch here: bit.ly/3oESqgx
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[@Vox]

This is the second video in our week of winter sports videos! You can watch the first video on the position that helped ski jumpers fly farther here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qojWhJRvi9mgitk

[@sy7028789]

The real secret is push your opponent off the track and fall. Chinese did great, learn from Chinese

[@bernardong3872]

@@sy7028789 🇰🇷🤏🤏

[@zappini]

Nicely done. Just a terrific video. Topic, presentation, editing, everything. Just perfect.

[@itainteasy]

you should be ashamed to be covering the CCP olympics. The CCP failed to provide evidence of the virus' origin.

[@SpiritSlayer1]

Hi

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

The best thing about Bradbury's win is that it was HIS PLAN. He knew he couldn't win ANY medal under normal circumstances, so he and his coach decided "stay at the back, if two guys crash you get a bronze!"... so he did and, well.....

[@roflcopter4388]

This is the most Australian approach ever lol

[@acido44]

Smart tbh

[@akashsahu2571]

😎😎😎

[@jsonlee01]

Andrew Heo in this Olympics benefited from crashes in a couple of his races. The second time was amazing. He had to avoid the two fallen skaters who were crossing his track as the slid to the wall.

[@lukeyp15]

The best part of the plan was the fall happened in the previous race too

[@TMWriting]

I don’t think the rest of the world quite understands how famous the Steven Bradbury gold medal win is here in Australia. It genuinely made him a hero.

[@gizmoguyar]

It was a really widely talked about event in the US too. He was all over the news for a long time.

[@TMWriting]

​@@gizmoguyar if you stopped anybody on the street in Australia and said his name, regardless of if they cared about the Olympics or even sports in general, I guarantee they'd start grinning from ear to ear.

[@theweirdclasher3955]

Yea

[@Rindiculousfun]

As a Canadian, when I think of short track, I think of Bradbury.

[@oreziopancrazio3685]

I can assure you outside english speaking commonwealth countries, at least in Italy he is very famous and is part of a cutural legacy of people born in 90's, cause a very popular show back in the early 2000's surfaced this gem for us in a time where absence of globalization and internet made such a local hero hard to be discovered! Me personally every now and then I goback to watchthis clip as it nake me laugh like the first time

[@jpaior]

This is known now in Australia as “pulling a Bradbury” or to “do a Bradbury” and is a permanent feature of our slang culture…

[@tk9839]

I could use a Bradbury in my life right now...c'mon Bradbury do it!

[@MorningThief_]

definitely better than "pulling a Harmison"!

[@mothermovementa]

How wonderful. Thanks for telling

[@PoisonPrince1]

I remember Bradbury winning gold as if it was yesterday. For me it's one of the most memorable things from all of the Olympics I have ever seen.

[@igorgracchia5788]

His face in the winning picture is the best thing on the video

[@manitoublack]

As an Aussie. It's a moment I'll never forget. It's now used as a verb: 'Done a Bradbury!"

[@PoisonPrince1]

@@manitoublack haha, he definitely deserves a phrase after him :D

[@LiamHodginsiscool]

As a Canadian For us it's Sidney Crosby the Golden goal!!!!!!!

[@TheJosh1337]

Yep. Saw it live at whatever time it was in the morning. Greatest olympic moment of all time.

[@jj-if6it]

Bradbury stayed that far back because he'd seen other skaters fall in previous rounds and used it as a tactic. He knew he probably wasn't fast enough to win - I think it was already his 4th Olympics. He didn't try to be the fastest and it paid off. He also overcame massive injuries during his career such as a broken neck. I remember watching it and it was Australia's first ever gold medal at the winter games. For us to win in such a underdog way was perfect.

[@JohnKCoyleTheArtofReallyLiving]

We in the sport considered it a "lifetime achievement award"

[@donotshowmyname9547]

Being too slow to catch up is not a tactic.

[@adic9091]

Nice to hear an athlete admit that luck does play a roll.

[@snowstrobe]

Did you mean to spell 'role' that way? If so then excellent punning...

[@DepecheMode5]

It pays off when you've put in the work. If he was first but did not train properly he wouldn't win

[@djkor]

As an Australian clicking on this video, there is only one thing I have in mind whenever ice speed skating comes up.

[@ps.6023]

eating liquefied baby poop aka vegimite? not speaking proper English? Bonn Scott?

[@aspiresamori9696]

One other secret is Hollywood reaction like Oh No.

[@lduff155]

Former national team speed skater here. Ohno had a brutal false start in the 500m 06' final. Everyone in the skating world knows this. The refs always favored him and it showed when they didnt call back this race. Ohno NEVER had the best start in the mens 500m. The refs also cut him a huge break in the 02' Olympics when they disqualified the south Korean skater in the 1500m for "cross tracking him".

[@geepark9075]

That's why us Koreans hate Ohno.

[@kevinlam6975]

There are much better skaters out there than him, he's only well known because he's US skater

[@iLoveBoysandBerries]

Jealous much?

[@BIBO1117]

Thank you for confirming that. I had my question when I first watched the video, but couldn’t determine whether or not it was a false start. Much appreciated!

[@mynameissang]

As a Korean, I still remember as a kid watching the slow mo replay of Ohno shamelessly pushing a Korean skater. I still wanna punch the guy

[@jonas1015119]

I was expecting this to be about Bradbury, got disappointed when it wasnt, and then it turns out that Ohno also was in *that* race with Bradbury. What a plot twist

[@andrewjgrimm]

With a surname of “Ohno”, you can’t forget that he was in that race.

[@claytondeclemente2116]

Great video highlighting the track patterns. That is such a huge part of racing especially now. I’m currently on the US national team so it was cool seeing some of my friends in the racing shots haha

[@nathanielcasson9587]

Yoo lesgo Clayton

[@BigBrotherMars]

Get that W Clayton!

[@claytondeclemente2116]

@Naes yeah that's something you have to think about too. You have to know when to use each type of track and more importantly when you can relax and skate a normal track

[@RobMonty248]

I miss it about once a week, i used to do 49 sec 500m races, not fast enough but still, what a ride, its so much fun to skate. =)

[@RobMonty248]

@Naes Well, a hard choice yet for one who still looks back wishing, id say keep on it. Hard work can lead to so many things. I didnt take it serious enough as well. Seen that a lot. Follow the dream no matter what, even if it turns out its not skating for Olympics!

[@tetard88]

I just remember him for his “hollywood action” in the 2002 Olympics. His exaggerated hand gesture made the judges disqualify the athlete who actually came in first place, faster than him. Ohno won gold that way. I remember there were lots of memes that made fun of his exaggerating gesture. Didnt know he was so popular in the states

[@lucaslim8473]

Korean audience will be uncomfortable time watching this lol

[@ScottFreeSBP]

Steven Bradbury, Australian legend and one of our most famous olympic triumphs

[@SirLaurenceNZ_2]

I'm a speed skater and I've got to say this is one of the best main stream explanations of various different topics on the sport while being casually accessible. Thank you for not having a presenter try and fail at skating like every other mainstream video xD

[@johnchessant3012]

7:07 The funniest part of this is how two of the other skaters crawled across to get silver and bronze

[@Quintendejong123]

One got a penalty

[@TheWulf899]

Steven Bradbury's win was the best winter Olympic moment in history (Also Australia's first ever gold medal at the winter Olympics so yay for that)

[@lukewip]

Great editing and storytelling, I appreciate the strategic element of this sport that is so often lost in other olympic sports

[@londonxseoul]

🤣 Ohno is the icon of Hollywood action for my generation in Korea. Two very different perspectives.

[@Azeria]

Watching this what’s interesting to me is how comparable a lot of this is to short track racing in NASCAR.

[@jlhutto]

always said it, NASCAR on Ice!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

That's what I was thinking too. I mean, we just need to give them spotters.

[@jerickjoshuaorlanes7399]

well this is a very timely upload from vox especially due to the recent short track speed skating controversy at the winter games in beijing.

[@cocopoco2006]

Oh no is a great actor!

[@triciac.5078]

Love the push pins and track to show us the moves. Great idea and execution.

[@ConanOG]

I saw the Olympics today. The secret is: if you push the other competitor till he falls, you win!

[@biboloxo]

Have you actually had any idea what the rules of this sport are?

[@yueli5935]

Have you completely ignored so many penalties and yellow cards given this year? The rules are so much stricter than Pyeong Chang 2018.

[@MrRevax16]

@@yueli5935 to be fair, some calls were weird this year. Some skater were DQed for nothing, other were for something they did

[@rubyred186]

He maybe be the luckiest, but the unluckily skater in winter Olympics goes to that Korean skater who got disqualified recently.

[@5122jeff]

The secret is too cheat apparently, how did the Chinese skater cheat but the Korean got DQ'd?

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

Golf Digest (of all places) have a great breakdown of why the ruling was correct

[@oliverfowler5807]

Also the clip circulating where the Korean supposedly got disqualified isn't even the part he got disqualified for lol.

[@5122jeff]

@@pavarottiaardvark3431 I'll have to give it watch then

[@TheAdventuresofRussell]

Us Aussies are so proud of Steven Bradbury. We love an underdog lol

[@austin8991]

You guys are so incredibly hard-working, especially to the woman recreating the skaters using the pins at the end. Kudos to her!

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Ohno’s “Oh no” moment…

[@neitherworld]

aww, I love the behind the scenes look at the visual design. you all have such fun editing

[@eugenewong__]

the single best video that not only explains the sport well for casuals but can educate newcomers as well!!!!! excellent job Vox!!

[@RALewis1234]

I liked the little bts at the end. Thanks for the effort put into this video!

[@tangojuli209]

This is SUCH an excellent illustration of the skill and technique of this sport! BRAVA!!!!

[@icsolano]

the production value of this video wow impressive

[@nehemiah9190]

I’m really enjoying the physical props that you guys are employing, helps to accentuate the ideas you are trying to get across.

[@Game_Hero]

Thank you for using the metric system

[@CastleBomb44]

Amazing video!!! Wish there was a video like this for each Olympic sport.

[@monum]

If you look at 3:00 you can see that Apolo Ohno was still in motion at the start which is not allowed and should have been addressed I think. It explained his fast start at least. Nothing but props for this athlete and the things he has achieved though. Thanks for the video Vox!

[@camillaa_ek]

Correct me if I'm wrong but he is allowed to MOVE just not, move his skates?

[@photogirl023]

@@camillaa_ek Generally now, no. Its truly up to the discretion of the race officials. I've been DQ'd for hands twitching but other races they just don't want to see big jumps or skates moving. I think in general the last 5 years or so has been much more strict with it, a lot has changed in short track! Hope that helps!

[@Se0what]

@@camillaa_ek I've seen disqualification for a lot less movement

[@fltremblay381]

I'm glad someone else than me pointed that out 😉 (i'll admit he did a perfect race after the start). Great video though.

[@photogirl023]

@@fltremblay381 you’d probably know better than anyone!

[@dsfsdfsddf]

I remember watching the 2002 race as I used to speed skate myself at the time (not very well I might add). Apolo may not have been happy about what happened but like they said he was still part of the most infamous race in short track history. Steven Bradbury is a great example of why you should never give up or quit just because you're not currently winning.

[@dragoda]

Outstanding clip and preparation. Had to watch it twice. You get my like and subscribe.

[@douglas_chinwuba]

Love these videos, keep them coming

[@ohyes7170]

Ohno.. he stole a korean gold medal by hollywood acting in 2002

[@ohyes7170]

@@Fishmans darling, dont try to teach physics to me, besides just look at Ohno's face lol. It was on purpose

[@96515325]

@@Fishmans Go back to WoW

[@96515325]

@@Fishmans Who are you kidding.

[@KarelPZ]

I remember watching Apolo in the Olympics when I was in high school. The dude was on fire and I loved the energy.

[@hepcatliz]

Great run down of this great sport! A great pairing to the Summer Olympics and track cycling, the races have you on the edge of your seat 🤩👍

[@sergioortega9684]

Love your style of production.

[@leedoc512]

The secret to winning a short track speed skating is to bribe the judges.

[@feldinho]

In China’s case it’s more like a state sponsored blackmail.

[@liingye282]

como en la fifa mundial del 2002, korea sobornó a los jueces en la partida de Italia VS korea

[@leedoc512]

@@liingye282 Okay.

[@JaydenB_2k24]

Omg I forgot about how big Apollo was as a kid. It was Kobe, Phelps, Apollo and Brady as the main players.

[@accordiongordon]

Oh wow, he must’ve been a big kid! /s

[@am34]

2:59 "That stoke to luck and a *FALSE* start"

[@monicapaeklucky]

Thanks for the awesome tutorial I’ve always wanted learn the rules of short track

[@iLoveBoysandBerries]

Good, now get out there and race

[@beaumoon8581]

Simple secret. Referee DQs the winner and Oh No got the gold.

[@strayferal]

Very good job guys! I love how you explained it!

That editing was tight, love it

[@hkwo829]

The secret is having PRC’ judges

[@bernardong3872]

🤏

[@hkwo829]

@@bernardong3872 👎🏿

[@valianes]

Man. Short track. Highlight of the Winter Olympics for me, every year. Saw it live in 2010. It is SO SO GOOD.

[@jasons9879]

Fabulous video! Such a great use of hand-made materials and stop-motion. It perfectly showed all the concepts

[@jawonlee7807]

Clean win for Ono ? hahaha

[@MolarMender]

Why do I enjoy watching this soooo much?

[@udoydatta7773]

I really like how vox uses models to explain a concept instead of fancy animation, kudos!

[@thisisfrenchtouch]

Amazing explanation Vox !

[@yashsaboo7]

So I had zero clue about the Winter Olympics. But Vox decided to do a series of videos on it. And I just love watching Vox videos. So I am suddenly interested in the former as well. The efforts you guys put in each of your videos, right from research to execution, are commendable! Love the channel and keep coming up with interesting topics like this :)))

[@omgasmallbox]

The secret is to throw the marking cone under Canada's skate. shhhh.

[@ventureplus5903]

Awesome visuals!

[@Istalrivaldr]

Secret to winning. Don't get DQ'd

[@bayleybayley]

That advert shoot looks like a parody of athlete endorsements 😆

[@chaserubin4253]

This will be helpful for my next short track ice skating race

[@TRAVisty_James]

That Steven Bradbury race is my favourite Olympic moment, it’s just such an Aussie way to win. Inspiration to us all 🤣

[@namenamename390]

What I always like about these videos are the unique, clear, and nice to look at visuals.

[@darkchocolate3390]

Having the judges be bribed.

[@TheMaxwellee]

Excellent, thank you.

[@awoogagoogaloo2889]

Such a good explanation

[@kimmycassie]

This was such an interesting video for some reason,, I really loved it

[@brianfromireland]

Great vid thanks

[@BETA_7608]

2002 ohno? hmm....

[@EinChris75]

I think the trick is to throw a line marker onto your opponent without the referees noticing... allegedly...

[@tomhauer6528]

Not an expert on the rules here, but watching last night's coverage it looks like the best winning secret is being on the Chinese team.

[@inception727]

Lol, I like American always has something to say about something they don't even have slightest idea.

[@katieshin969]

@@inception727 did you.. even watch the coverage…? And the same way you assumed the commenter’s nationality, I’d have to assume you’re Chinese. Take all the gold medals - who cares about fair play and sportsmanship right?

[@inception727]

@@katieshin969 I think you are talking about the Koreans viewer, the Chinese team didn't have any foul plays. After all it was the Korean player disqualified by violation of code S6. The language and code of speed skating has been updated since 2018, due to the fact there were too many complaints against the Korean player during that 2018 winter Olympics.

[@sunghyunnam]

@@inception727 Chinese players got away with using their hands in multiple occasions this tournament and also using one of the stones to interfere with a Canadian skater. In all of those cases, the opposing skaters were disqualified. Fair much. I get that dq’s happen in this sport and it may be beyond my understanding. However, Chinese skaters getting away with every blatant attempt of foul play is absurd

[@inception727]

@@sunghyunnam korean need to have more confidence, don't always be a sour grape every time China does something that is NOT directed toward south Korea. I was wondering if the south Korea did have some kind of oedipus complex against China ever since gain its modern sovereign but still retain some much of influence from Chinese culture. I understand Korean are sensitive because it doesn't want to be seen as part of China. Recent occasion again confirm that Korean are overly sensitive if China ever does something it irritates and somehow make you guys feel inferior or something. Also, It has been an established fact Korea speed skaters are one of the best however also one of the worst for sneaky hand grap. Thus , this year, news tech and new codes has been established to make sure the game is fair. Of course host country always has advantage just like what happened in 2018.

[@914Rocky]

Great video. Very informative

[@bobcharlotte8724]

Judging by what went on recently, you just need to grab one of the markers on the ground and subtly roll it forward into your opponents skate or just literally grab their shoulder and yank it back before the finish line.

[@kdpak]

Was there actually cheating? Honestly it all looked very intentional. If it was, then I wonder why there isn't much discussion about it. Even in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a winning wrestler was bitten by his opponent as a last ditch effort and the bite mark was also clearly visible, yet no action was taken against that athlete. Even the victim athlete didn't complain about it. It's almost like "yeah Olympians cheat all the time. So what?"

[@maruchan1936]

@@kdpak I think it depends on where you are. Here in Korea it’s a huge issue. It’s even stoked anti-Chinese sentiments. Some netizens were so angry that they were demanding the government bring their athletes back.

[@kdpak]

@@maruchan1936 Right. No one cares until it's their country's participant who has been wronged.

[@jiayicheng7782]

I honestly think that Chinese player Fan and the judges are wrongly accused. First of all that game was only 1/4 qualification. The Canadian player who was tripped still got to remain at her second place and was prompted to the next round. There is another camera footage showing Fan was pushed by another Canadian player behind her when they were crossing the lines. So that Canadian player behind Fan was penalized, Fan also got to remain at her third position, but not qualified for the next round. The funny thing is, the camera footage from the other angle didn’t got widely circulated at all.

[@theoryo2586]

Simple, you yank the person in front of you on final.

[@DarkWanderer666]

Never heard of this guy before. Gg.

[@PvsNP]

Nice story. But Bradbury's gold medal is an even cooler story still.

[@studioplayy]

Apollo used to train me at the petit center! great guy very very talented, him and joey mantia are literally unbeatable in the usa

[@TheGreatChrisB]

I remember being a kid watching Apolo's races and being so excited. When everyone fell I was like "omg, they did it on purpose, that other guy was so far back he knew it was going to happen". My little kid brain just figured people cheated somehow, I didn't realize their is a strategy of luck, hoping everyone falls. I think that single race the was the most exciting thing to ever happen in any Olympics ever. I feel like everyone remembers that and screaming at the TV.

[@TheTechAdmin]

3:00 What a GREAT start!!!

[@Jumdabum]

Who knew that you could make such a fast and exciting sport sound so incredibly boring? I didn't until this video so well done, teaching things you don't even intend to teach

[@deepskywest3633]

Outstanding guys. Top of your game.

[@g2000isforman]

in 2022 = the secret is to get a judge that sides with you or just disqualify every other competitors

[@jaemanpark352]

came looking for this

[@Elderrion]

Throw a puck under the skates of one in front of you and blame it on the other guy

[@bernardong3872]

🤏

[@HexQuesTT]

This video is about Ohno but the comments are only talking about Bradbury because his fluke win is just so much more entertaining and widely known

[@Cartho8236]

Ah yeah the Salt lake race is hard to forget and I love seeing this event.

[@wesleygonzales2049]

Apolo Ohno = National Treasure

[@SpiritSlayer1]

509,785 views, 12k likes, 571 comments, 10.3M subscribers. Nice!!

[@Kenny-yl9pc]

what a man!

[@abigaildawn2996]

All the Australians are just here for the Bradbury mention 🤣

[@nalinc3304]

Great video

[@CodeGr88n]

can we see a behind the scenes on the stop motion you created for the skaters with the pushpins? :)

[@Erick-zj1ld]

I could literally take some of the sentences you used and use them in formula One Racing, like launching to the first corner, using one's draft to slingshot and pass them (slip stream in formula One), Physics is Physics. Thanks for this.

[@uddinislah3042]

Very nice excellent👌👍

[@TheXeeman]

is there a protocol when they fall? like keeping their skates on the ground to avoid slicing anyone that bumps into them?

[@vasilerogojan4520]

I think that a video about the predictions about the future situation in Kazakhstan or Ukraine will be a good idea.

[@teenjay001]

Finally just forget the elements mentioned and to have the referee on your side and DQ your opponent 😊

[@opaulodetarso]

Um show de fotos!