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Over 40 athletes are set to compete in this weekend's U.S. short-track speedskating championships at the Utah Olympic Oval in Kearns. Up for grabs are spots on the upcoming ISU World Cup team as well as spots at the 2016 World Championships in Seoul, South Korea, March 11-13.

Qualifying rounds for the 1,500-meter, 500-meter and 1,000-meter events will be held Friday morning. Saturday morning the races officially start with the semifinal and final heats of the 1,500- and 500-meter events. The 1,000-meter and 3,000-meter semifinals and finals are scheduled for Sunday.

Back on the ice is three-time Olympian J.R. Celski. The 25-year-old from Federal Way, Wash., took the 2015 season off after winning a silver medal in the short-track relay at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Celski underwent surgery to repair a torn hip labrum last year.

Also set to compete are fellow Olympians Chris Creveling and Jessica Smith-Kooreman. Smith-Kooreman, dominated the U.S. short-track championships a year ago, sweeping all four events last January at the Oval. She finished fourth in the women's 1,000-meter event at the Sochi Games.

Skater John-Henry Krueger, who won three of four events last year, is the highest-ranked American male skater on the ISU World Cup circuit at No. 31. Krueger and Creveling combined for three top-10 finishes at the World Cup stop in Nagoya, Japan, in early December.

Along with the 14 members of the U.S. short-track program, seven of the eight skaters recently named to the U.S. world junior championships squad will race, including Salt Lake City's Benjamin Thornock.

Those who earn spots on the World Cup circuit will compete in Dresden, Germany, (Feb. 5-7) and next in Dordrecht, Netherlands, (Feb. 12-14). The two stops will prelude the World Championships.

ckamrani@sltrib.com

Twitter: @chriskamrani —

U.S. short-track speedskating championships

Utah Olympic Oval, Kearns, Jan. 8-10

» Friday, Jan. 8: Qualifying rounds for 1,500, 500 and 1,000-meter races

» Saturday, Jan. 9: Day 1 of championships featuring 1,500 and 500-meter semifinal and finals

» Sunday, Jan. 10: Day 2 of 1,000 and 3,000-meter semifinal and finals

Races are scheduled to start at 11:40 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday's races will start at 9 a.m.