International Skating Union

The Olympic Qualifying Competition for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, between October 25-28, 2002

Entries
Entries for the Olympic Qualifying Competition shall be in accordance with Rule 282, paragraph 4 and Rule 286, paragraphs 2 and 6 of the 2000 ISU Special Regulations for Short Track Speed Skating referred to and outlined below:

a) Final entries must reach the Organizing Committee at the latest on October 19, 2001.
b) In the Olympic Qualifying Competition each ISU Member, except special clubs, may enter two (2) competitors in each category (Ladies and Men) and one (1) substitute respectively.
c) Those Members who wish to enter the Olympic Qualifying Competition for Relay may enter five (5) competitors in each category (Ladies and Men)
d) Those Members who enter both individual and Relay events are allowed to enter a maximum of five (5) competitors in each category (Ladies and Men).

Distances
The Olympic Qualifying Competition shall be held in accordance with the 2000 ISU Special Regulations for Short Track Speed Skating, Rule 286 referred to and outlined below:

a) Individual distances - 500, 1000 and 1500 meters for Ladies and Men
b) Relay distances - 3000 meters for Ladies and 5000 meters for Men

Members should note that those skaters entered for the individual distances shall compete in all distances 500, 1000 and 1500 meters.

Competition
a) Schedule - The schedule of events shall be 1500 meters for Ladies and Men to conclusion, 500 meters for Ladies and Men to conclusion and 1000 meters for Ladies and Men to conclusion. Following the conclusion of these individual distances the Relay Competitions shall be held.

b) Make-up of races: individual distances
The composition of the first qualifying round for each distance shall be made by the Competitors Steward in consultation with the Referee in accordance with the positions on the current World Ranking list for that particular distance, per Rule 283, paragraph 3. In all other respects the drawing and seeding procedure shall be made in accordance with Rule 283, paragraph 3.
If after placing skaters in races, other entered competitors are not listed in the current World Ranking list, they shall be placed by drawing.
The number of heats in 1500, 500 and 1000 meters Ladies and Men shall be confirmed on the basis of total number of entries.

c) Make-up of races: relay distances
The composition of the first qualifying round for each category in the Relay distance shall be made by the Competitors Steward in consultation with the Referee in accordance with the positions of the current World Ranking for Relay.
If after placing teams in races, other entered teams are not listed in the current World Ranking list, they shall be placed by drawing.

d) Program
The individual competition over 1500, 500 and 1000 meters Ladies and Men will be in accordance with Rule 282, paragraph 2.
Final classification shall be made over all qualifying distances combined (1500, 500 and 1000 meters) Ladies and Men and on the basis of Rule 282, paragraph 5. Qualification to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games shall be in accordance with Rule 286.
The Relay event in both categories (Ladies and Men) will be in accordance with Rule 282, paragraph 7 and qualification to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games shall be in accordance with Rule 286.
Preliminary rounds of the Relay distance will be skated according to Rule 282, paragraph 2 e) up to the quarter-finals. The quarter-finals will be skated according to Rule 286, paragraph 3 e). The remaining teams of the quarter-finals will skate the repechage round. The repechage round consists of 4 races of which the winners qualify.
In case the Host Nation fails to be placed in the last 8 teams, they will then replace the winning team from the repechage races with the slowest time.
Semi-finals and finals in the Relay distance are not skated.

Illness or Injury
If a skater entered in the competition is not able to compete further due to illness or injury, that skater may be replaced by the named substitute before the start of that distance.
If a skater in the competition withdraws from one distance after the draw for that distance has taken place, this skater is not allowed to be entered again for this or any other distance.
However to be considered to be replaced that skater must be examined by the Medical Advisor who will have the authority to confirm whether that skater can be substituted.

Final results - Individual
The ranking for the final results will be determined in accordance with the 2000 ISU Special Regulations for Short Track Speed Skating, Rule 282, paragraph 5.

Regulations
All applicable conditions of the 2000 ISU Special Regulations for Short Track Speed Skating shall apply.

Announcement
US Speed Skating will shortly issue an official announcement in accordance with ISU Regulations and this Communication which will confirm all arrangements.

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