ISU Short Track World Tour 2024-25: Preview, schedule and how to watch live
The ISU Short Track World Tour begins on 25 October in Montreal, Canada. Discover the stars to watch, top storylines and full schedule in our season preview.
Short Track Speed Skating
The Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026 are fast approaching, but a speedy countdown clock is of little concern to the world’s fastest short track speed skaters. These athletes live for the pressure-filled race weekends full of drama, speed and razor-thin margins of victory – a tantalising trio they’ll find at the ISU Short Track World Tour 2024-2025.
Launching with the first stop in Montreal, Canada from 25-27 October, the ISU Short Track World Tour promises a thrilling display of skating, veteran and new talent, as well as innovative broadcasts.
The series will visit three continents, beginning with two stops in North America. A two-stop stay in East Asia awaits the world’s best short track speed skaters in December, before a brief hiatus in January.
The month-long break will give skaters an opportunity to improve their technique and fitness before testing themselves during a two-stop European grand finale in February, which culminates with the Olympic test event in Milan, Italy.
While there are no quota places for Milano Cortina 2026 on offer this season, skaters will be eager to gain experience, win races, and check off personal goals ahead of the Olympic season. So whether you are tuning in to watch the Korean White Tigers ignite their rivalry with the Canadian Ice Maples, or silently supporting the Australian Racing Roos from one of the world tour venues, expect nothing short of breathtaking action during the ISU Short Track World Tour 2024-2025.
Read on to discover more about the revamped series, including the schedule, key athletes to follow, and how to watch short track speed skating live throughout the winter season.
Olympic medallists, world champions and rising stars set to clash during the ISU Short Track World Tour
While the flashy new branding and innovative broadcasts might turn a few heads at the start of the season, the focus will be squarely on racing once the first starter’s pistol sounds in Montreal.
If last year’s world championship results and World Cup standings are an accurate indicator of form, the men’s events look poised to be a three-way contest between skaters representing the Canadian Ice Maples, Korean White Tigers and Chinese Loongs.
With the World Tour opening on their doorstep, the Canadian Ice Maples will be eager to replicate their results from last year’s ISU Short Track World Cup, where they took home the Crystal Globe in the men’s 5000m relay, along with two individual World Cup titles.
It was a strong season for the Canadian men with Jordan Pierre-Gilles and William Dandjinou securing medals at the world championships, and Olympic veterans Steven Dubois and Pascal Dion performing well on the World Cup circuit.
As successful as the Canadians were, no team had a better world championship than the People’s Republic of China, who bagged three world titles, including Lin Xiaojun in the men’s 500m and Sun Long in the men’s 1500m in the Netherlands.
With a proven track record of Olympic and world championship medals, the Chinese Loongs are sure to be fierce competitors during the ISU Short Track World Tour, along with their long-time rivals Republic of Korea.
While Canada and China have topped the men’s relay podium at major events in recent years, Republic of Korea has also consistently placed on the podium. They have also dominated the individual events on the World Cup circuit, with Park Jiwon taking home the overall Crystal Globe last season.
The Korean White Tigers will be hungry for more medals and victories after a rough showing at the world championships last season. The traditional short track powerhouse will look to mount a memorable comeback and send a message to rivals ahead of the Olympic season.
Nevertheless, surprising results and remarkable breakthroughs are always possible in short track speed skating, meaning no team can be counted out of contention before the very last race of the season.
The women’s season is shaping up to be equally exciting, with breakout stars like Team USA’s Kristen Santos-Griswold and the Republic of Korea’s Kim Gil-li set to face established greats like Italy’s Arianna Fontana.
Santos-Griswold was the star of the world championships, winning medals in the five events she entered, including a gold medal in the women’s 1000m. She will lace up alongside teammate Corinne Stoddard, who finished fifth in the overall World Cup standings last season, with the pair looking to put the USA Eagles at the forefront of women’s short track speed skating.
It has been nearly 15 years since a USA female athlete won a medal in short track speed skating at an Olympic Games, so Santos-Griswold and Stoddard will be keen to prove their credentials once more ahead of the Olympic season.
It will also be a crucial season for Italy’s Arianna Fontana as the two-time Olympic champion looks to improve her form ahead of a potential sixth Olympic Games.
There will be high expectations on Fontana, who holds the record for most medals won by a short track speed skater at an Olympic Games, with Milano Cortina 2026 taking place less than 150 kilometres from her birthplace. A few wins for the Italian Gladiators on the ISU Short Track World Tour might help alleviate the stress of preparing for a home Olympic Games while boosting her personal confidence after a difficult 2023-24 season.
Fontana will need to fend off Kim Gil-li if she wants to have any chance at winning the overall World Tour title. The junior-turned-senior sensation was electric last season, claiming the overall World Cup title and an individual gold medal in the women’s 1500m at the world championships.
Clad in the colors of the Korean White Tigers, Kim will hope to improve the team’s results in the relay and individual events, alongside fellow junior standout Seo Whi-min - a two-time gold medallist at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games.
Xandra Velzeboer of the Dutch Lions, who won the World Cup title in the women’s 500m last season, and Hanne Desmet of the Belgian Ice Bears, who finished fourth in the overall World Cup standings, are also likely to feature prominently during the ISU Short Track World Tour.
Schedule of the ISU Short Track World Tour 2024-25
The ISU Short Track Word Tour features six stops across three continents and concludes with the Olympic test event in Milan, Italy. Here is the schedule for this season:
- 25-27 October: Montreal, Canada
- 1-3 November: Salt Lake City, USA
- 6-8 December: Beijing, China
- 13-15 December: Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 7-9 February: Tilburg, Netherlands
- 14-16 February: Milan, Italy
The 2025 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships will take place in March after the conclusion of the ISU Short Track World Tour.
ISU Short Track World Tour: How to watch live
The International Skating Union will offer live streaming of World Tour competitions on its YouTube account with geo-blocking across several territories.