How to make it as a short track speed skater: Deakin sport scientist

That's according to Dr Eric Drinkwater, a Senior Lecturer in Sport Science at Deakin’s School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, who has overseen research into the importance of the first leg of the lightning fast race.

After the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, Dr Drinkwater and his then PhD candidate at Charles Darwin University Bill Haug evaluated how the initial short-track speed-skating 14 metre start performance influenced the outcome of the 500m race.

Also drawing on data from previous world championships, they found those couple of seconds before the first turn were a crucial predictor of success.

"We know that there is a very large relationship between how well you finish a 500 metre short-track speed skating race and how quickly you reach the first corner only 14 metres from the start of the race," Dr Drinkwater said.

"If you start strong, you're probably going to finish well, assuming you don’t crash out of the race."

Jung will be competing for Australia in the 500m short track heats tomorrow.

Jung reached the semi-finals in the 1500m last week, but the shorter course is his preferred event and he placed 12th at last year's world championships.

The current world record for the 500m event is just under 34 seconds.

Dr Drinkwater said the skills critical to speed skating success were very similar to those of short distance runners.

"The speed skating start to the first corner and a running start on dry land are mechanically very similar," he said.

"In fact, our research showed that we can improve a speed-skater's start time to the first corner by training them in dry-land sprint start.

"Therefore, reaching the first corner first is mostly a matter of brute speed."

Dr Drinkwater said this was mirrored in other winter sports too.

"In preparation for the 2006 Torino Olympics the Australian Institute of Sport identified women who had never tried skeleton (the unique sledding sport) and placed them into the elite training program based only on their 30 metre sprint time," he said.

Dr Drinkwater said it showed strong winter athletes could still come from a sunburnt country like Australia.

"Even if you've never skated before, if you’re a really quick runner, particularly in the first 14 metres - so you have really explosive acceleration - then I'd suggest you head to an ice rink to give short-track speed skating a try," he said.

"Nobody is saying that learning to skate is easy, and to defy gravity around those corners like Andy Jung you will need more than 14 metres of speed.

"It takes strength and speed, precision technique, nerves of steel, and a bit of luck to avoid the stack if everyone else crashes.

"But if you're blessed with great acceleration, you might find yourself on a fast-track to being an Olympian."