word count 250Text-only word count 3476Number of figures 3Number of tables 3"Pacing Behaviour and Tactical Positioning in 1500 m Short-Track Speed Skating" AbstractPurpose: To gain more insight in pacing behaviour and tactical positioning in 1500 m shorttrack speed skating, a sport in which several athletes directly compete within the same race. Methods

word count: 250Text-only word count: 3207 Conclusions: Although 500m and 1000m short-track races are both of relatively short 52 duration, fundamental differences in pacing behavior and tactical positioning were found. A 53 fast start strategy seems to be optimal for 500m races, while the crucial segment in 1000 m 54 races seems to be from the 6th lap to the finish line (i.e., after ± 650m). These findings 55 provide evidence to suggest that athletes balance between choosing an energetically optimal 56 profile and the tactical and positional benefits that play a role when riding against an 57 opponent, and contribute to developing novel insights in exploring athletic behaviour when 58 racing against opponents.59 60