# World Sprint Speed Skating Championships

The World Sprint Speed Skating Championships are annual speed skating championships. The championships are held over a two-day period, with the skaters racing one 500 m and one 1,000 m each day (so-called sprint combination). Since the higher speeds towards the end of the race tend to favour the skater who skates the last outer lane, each skater starts both distances once in the inner lane and once in the outer lane. The times on those distances are then converted to points using the samalog system, and the skaters are then ranked according to the fewest points.
The International Skating Union has organised the World Sprint Championships for Men and the World Sprint Championships for Women since 1970 and both are held at the same time and venue. The first two years (1970 and 1971), they were called the ISU Sprint Championships. Since 2020, the men's and women's World Sprint Championships are held every even year – at same time and venue as the men's and women's World Allround Championships.
The (non-Olympic) team sprint world championship events are normally being held at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships since 2019. In a 2021–22 Olympic season this events were held during the 2022 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships.

## Hosts

| Year | Venue | Nation |
| 1970 | West Allis | United States |
| 1971 | Inzell | West Germany |
| 1972 | Eskilstuna | Sweden |
| 1973 | Oslo | Norway |
| 1974 | Innsbruck | Austria |
| 1975 | Gothenburg | Sweden |
| 1976 | West Berlin | West Germany |
| 1977 | Alkmaar | Netherlands |
| 1978 | Lake Placid | United States |
| 1979 | Inzell | West Germany |
| 1980 | West Allis | United States |
| 1981 | Grenoble | France |
| 1982 | Alkmaar | Netherlands |
| 1983 | Helsinki | Finland |
| 1984 | Trondheim | Norway |
| 1985 | Heerenveen | Netherlands |
| 1986 | Karuizawa | Japan |
| 1987 | Sainte Foy | Canada |
| Year | Venue | Nation |
| 1988 | West Allis | United States |
| 1989 | Heerenveen | Netherlands |
| 1990 | Tromsø | Norway |
| 1991 | Inzell | Germany |
| 1992 | Oslo | Norway |
| 1993 | Ikaho | Japan |
| 1994 | Calgary | Canada |
| 1995 | Milwaukee | United States |
| 1996 | Heerenveen | Netherlands |
| 1997 | Hamar | Norway |
| 1998 | Berlin | Germany |
| 1999 | Calgary | Canada |
| 2000 | Seoul | South Korea |
| 2001 | Inzell | Germany |
| 2002 | Hamar | Norway |
| 2003 | Calgary | Canada |
| 2004 | Nagano | Japan |
| 2005 | Salt Lake City | United States |
| Year | Venue | Nation |
| 2006 | Heerenveen | Netherlands |
| 2007 | Hamar | Norway |
| 2008 | Heerenveen | Netherlands |
| 2009 | Moscow | Russia |
| 2010 | Obihiro | Japan |
| 2011 | Heerenveen | Netherlands |
| 2012 | Calgary | Canada |
| 2013 | Salt Lake City | United States |
| 2014 | Nagano | Japan |
| 2015 | Astana | Kazakhstan |
| 2016 | Seoul | South Korea |
| 2017 | Calgary | Canada |
| 2018 | Changchun | China |
| 2019 | Heerenveen | Netherlands |
| 2020 | Hamar | Norway |
| 2022 | Hamar | Norway |
| 2024 | Inzell | Germany |

## Medal tables (1970–2024)
### Sprint combination

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States | 21 | 23 | 17 | 61 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 11 | 15 | 24 | 50 |
| 3 | Soviet Union | 11 | 10 | 8 | 29 |
| 4 | Canada | 10 | 13 | 8 | 31 |
| 5 | East Germany | 10 | 8 | 3 | 21 |
| 6 | Germany | 8 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
| 7 | Japan | 7 | 12 | 13 | 32 |
| 8 | South Korea | 7 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
| 9 | China | 6 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
| 10 | Russia | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 11 | Norway | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| 12 | West Germany | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 13 | Finland | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Belarus | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | CIS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Poland | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 18 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (21 entries) | Totals (21 entries) | 106 | 106 | 106 | 318 |

### Team sprint

See also:
* World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships for Men#Team sprint
* World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships for Women#Team sprint
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Netherlands | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1 | Norway | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Poland | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Totals (3 entries) | Totals (3 entries) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |

### Combined all-time medal count including team sprint

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | United States | 21 | 23 | 17 | 61 |
| 2 | Netherlands | 12 | 15 | 25 | 52 |
| 3 | Soviet Union | 11 | 10 | 8 | 29 |
| 4 | Canada | 10 | 13 | 8 | 31 |
| 5 | East Germany | 10 | 8 | 3 | 21 |
| 6 | Germany | 8 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
| 7 | Japan | 7 | 12 | 13 | 32 |
| 8 | South Korea | 7 | 3 | 4 | 14 |
| 9 | China | 6 | 5 | 3 | 14 |
| 10 | Russia | 6 | 3 | 4 | 13 |
| 11 | Norway | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| 12 | West Germany | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| 13 | Finland | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Belarus | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 14 | Sweden | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | CIS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Poland | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 18 | Australia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Austria | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Czech Republic | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 18 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (21 entries) | Totals (21 entries) | 108 | 108 | 108 | 324 |