Short track speed skating has provided Winter Olympic thrills since 1988, when the sport made its debut as a demonstration sport.

In short track, athletes compete against each other, instead of against the clock. As opposed to the 400m traditional speed skating track, the short track events take place on an oval measuring just 111.12 meters in length, creating nail-biting finishes.

A total of nine events will take place in short track at the Milan Cortina Games: four for men, four for women, plus one mixed team event. The top two skaters in the individual and team events move on to the next round, which ends in the "A Final," where the skaters race for medals.

The short track competition begins on Tuesday, Feb. 4 and wraps up on Friday, Feb. 14, concluding with the women's 1500m and men's 5000m relay finals. Stay tuned on the NBC Olympics schedule page for updates.

Unlike traditional speed skating, which is using a 400m oval at the Fiera Milano Exhibition Center, short track events will take place at the Milano Ice Skating Arena alongside figure skating.

The multipurpose facility has hosted numerous international figure skating competitions and also houses a well-respected ice skating school.