- style ▁races , ▁and ▁Americans ▁won ▁all ▁four ▁gold ▁med als . ▁Canada ▁won ▁five ▁med als , ▁all ▁silver ▁and ▁bronze , ▁while ▁def ending ▁World ▁Champion ▁Cl as ▁Th un berg ▁stayed ▁at ▁home , ▁protest ing ▁against ▁this ▁form ▁of ▁racing . ▁At ▁the ▁World ▁Championships ▁held ▁immediately ▁after ▁the ▁Games , ▁without ▁the ▁American ▁champions , ▁Norwegian ▁rac ers ▁won ▁all ▁four ▁distances ▁and ▁occupied ▁the ▁top ▁three ▁sp ots ▁in ▁the ▁all round ▁stand ings . ▁ ▁Norwegian , ▁Swedish , ▁Finn ish ▁and ▁Japanese ▁sk ating ▁leaders ▁protest ed ▁to ▁the ▁US OC , ▁condem ning ▁the ▁manner ▁of ▁competition , ▁and ▁express ing ▁the ▁wish ▁that ▁mass ▁start ▁races ▁were ▁never ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁again ▁at ▁the ▁Olympics . ▁However , ▁IS U ▁adopted ▁the ▁short ▁track ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁branch , ▁with ▁mass ▁start ▁races ▁on ▁shorter ▁tracks , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁arranged ▁international ▁compet itions ▁from ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁and ▁brought ▁them ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁Olympics ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁ ▁Women ' s ▁compet itions ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁women ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁accepted ▁in ▁IS U ▁speed ▁sk ating ▁compet itions . ▁Although ▁women ' s ▁races ▁had ▁been ▁held ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁for ▁some ▁time ▁and ▁competed ▁at ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁Winter ▁Olympics ▁in ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁event , ▁the ▁IS U ▁did ▁not ▁organ ise ▁official ▁compet itions ▁until ▁