Men and women will have seven events each which they will be able to battle for medals at the Games next year, due to take place between February 9 and 25.

As preparations continue, the ISU have confirmed the timing requirements and events where athlete quotas for countries will be decided.

They have also confirmed the qualification window be start on Saturday (July 1) and continue until January 14.

ISU World Cup events at Heerenveen in The Netherlands, Stavanger in Norway, Canadian city Calgary and Salt Lake City in the United States will be used to determine event entry quotas, using the Special Olympic Qualification Classification, in the ladies 500 metres, 1,000m, 1,500m, 3,000m, 5,000m and mass start competitions at the South Korean resort.

These World Cup events will also help sort out entry quotas for the men’s 500m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000 and mass start contests.

The team pursuit quotas for men and women will be decided at the same events except for the stage in Stavanger.

Male speed skaters will have to clock a qualifying time of 35.70sec in the 500m, 1min 10.50sec in the 1,000m, 1:48.00 in the 1,500m and 6:30.00 in the 5,000m.

In the 10,000m, a target time of 13:30.00 has been set, although anyone who completes a 5,000m who clock 6:25.00 will also qualify.

The qualification time for the mass start has been set at 1:57.50 in the 1,500m.

For female speed skaters, they have been set qualification marks of 39.50 in the 500m, 1:18.00 in the 1,000m, 1:59.50 in the 1,500m and 4:12.00 in the 3,000m.

A time of 7:20.00 will be required for the 5,000m, with skaters who clock 4:08.00 in a 3,000m race will also get to feature in the competition.

The women’s mass start qualification time has been set at 2:10.00 in the 1,500m.