Mass Start Scoring: Sprint Points and Final Sprint

Speed Skating Mass Start Points: Intermediate Sprints and the Final Dash

The mass start is speed skating’s most recent Olympic addition, bringing pack-racing drama to a sport traditionally defined by paired time trials. The event’s unique points system — featuring intermediate sprints and a decisive final push — creates a strategic layer that sets it apart from every other speed skating race. The ISU governs the format.

Race Structure

• Distance: 16 laps (6,400 meters).
• Skaters: up to 24 athletes start together.
• Intermediate sprints: held every four laps (at laps 4, 8, and 12).
• Final sprint: the finish-line crossing at lap 16.

Intermediate Sprint Points

At laps 4, 8, and 12, the first three skaters to cross the start/finish line earn points:

The sprint line is clearly marked, and officials (assisted by photo-finish cameras) determine the order.

Final Sprint Points

The final sprint (finish-line crossing) awards points to all remaining skaters based on their finishing position. However, the critical rule: finishing position trumps intermediate points for the top three.

The first three skaters across the finish line earn:

These finish points are so much larger than intermediate sprint points that crossing the line first essentially guarantees gold, regardless of how many intermediate sprints you’ve won. This design ensures the race climaxes at the finish rather than being decided by accumulated sprint points.

How Final Standings Are Determined

1. Podium positions (1st, 2nd, 3rd): determined entirely by the finish-line crossing order.
2. Positions 4th and below: determined by total points accumulated (intermediate + final sprint points). If a skater didn’t finish in the top 3 at the finish but accumulated intermediate sprint points, those points determine their non-podium ranking.
3. Tiebreakers: if two non-podium skaters have the same point total, the skater with the higher finish-line position ranks higher.

Strategic Implications

To sprint or not to sprint: contesting intermediate sprints spends energy. A skater who wins all three intermediate sprints earns 15 points but may be too tired to compete in the final sprint. Since finishing first earns 60 points, the math strongly favors saving energy for the finish.

However, intermediate points provide a safety net: if you crash in the final sprint or get boxed out, your intermediate points still secure a decent finishing position. This creates a genuine dilemma.

Pack dynamics: like cycling, the mass start features drafting, breakaways, and teamwork. Skaters from the same nation may cooperate — one teammate contests intermediate sprints while the other saves energy for the final sprint.

At Beijing 2022, Bart Swings of Belgium won men’s gold by ignoring intermediate sprints entirely and unleashing a devastating final-lap surge. His strategy: stay in the pack, draft, conserve, and explode at the end.

Lapped Skaters

Skaters who are lapped by the main pack are removed from the race. This prevents slow skaters from becoming obstacles in the pack.

Semifinals and Finals

If more than 24 skaters are entered, semifinal heats determine the finalists. The top finishers from each semi advance to the final.

Why the Mass Start Was Added

Traditional speed skating, while thrilling in its own way, lacks the visual drama of pack racing. The mass start, inspired by short track’s pack format, was introduced at PyeongChang 2018 to attract new audiences and create a more TV-friendly spectacle. The intermediate sprint points add a game-within-a-game element that rewards fans who follow the full 16 laps.