Ready to rumble: Mixed relay debuts in short track skating

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

Short track speedskating is already thrilling with its high-speed crashes and elbows flying. Now, there’s a new event adding to the chaos with its Olympic debut in Beijing. The 2,000-meter mixed team relay features a maximum of 12 teams with four skaters each battling it out over 18 laps. Two men and two women comprise each team. The six-day Olympic competition starts with the mixed team relay, with host China, the Netherlands and Hungary as the medal favorites. The races will be at Capital Indoor Stadium, which hosted the “ping-pong diplomacy” matches between the U.S and China in 1971.