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E-mail Xinhua, December 7, 2024
At the ISU Short Track Speed Skating World Tour here on Saturday, ISU President Kim Jae-youl noted that the event further increased the engagement of fans by giving unique cultural identity to each team and creating an exciting atmosphere in the venue through light and music.
"We want to maximize the potential that short track has, and that is why we are launching the World Tour," Kim said during the Beijing leg, which runs from Friday to Sunday at the Capital Indoor Stadium.
He added, "Not just top several strong teams dominate the sport now. Many countries and regions have tough skaters, which makes competition more fierce and more exciting to watch."
On the first competition day, Canadian skaters finished in 2:35.427 to break the 2,000m mixed team relay world record in the event's quarterfinals, beating the previous world record of 2:35.951 held by South Korea.
At the ISU Speed Skating World Cup last week in Beijing, world champion Jordan Stolz of the United States refreshed the track record of both the men's 500m and 1,000m events at the National Speed Skating Oval, known as the "Ice Ribbon."
"The Capital Indoor Stadium served the 2008 Olympics as well as the great short track and figure skating events at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Now, the venue is hosting the World Tour and producing good results," Kim said.
In March 2025, Beijing will host the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships. "Beijing has so many human resources, staff, and volunteers to welcome skaters from around the world," Kim said.
