Mixed Team Short Track Relay: Everything You Need To Know Before Watching

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been making an effort to promote gender equality in the Olympic Games, and as a result, more women athletes have participated in the Olympics. Several sports have mixed events, in which men and women participate in equal numbers. The upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing has nine mixed events, one of them being the sport of short track speed skating (via Olympics).

Short track relay is a sport wherein athletes race against others instead of racing against the clock. As Euro Sport reported, the sport is highly unpredictable and anyone can emerge the winner. Although short track relay has been present in past Olympic Games, 2022 is the first year where the mixed team relay will make its debut. Throughout the years, the Republic of Korea is the country to watch out for when it comes to short track speed skating, and they have won a total of 48 medals, 24 of which are gold.

Athletes who will be competing at the mixed team short track relay event must have qualified for the women's and men's relays, as reported by Olympics. Each mixed team must consist of two women and two men, and each team will race two times in a specific order: woman-woman-man-man-woman-woman-man-man. The athletes will be competing in an adrenaline-filled 2,000-meter race and will cover 18 laps of the arena that measures 111,12 meters long. In total, 12 teams will be competing in the mixed team short track relay event.

According to Beijing Visitor, the location of the short track relay event will be at the Capitol Indoor Stadium, which is located in Beijing's Haidian District. The stadium has a seating capacity of 18,000 people, and the event will be held on February 5 starting with the quarterfinals and immediately followed by the semi-finals. Two final events will be held on the same night, and they will be followed by the awarding ceremony.