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Speed/Short Track Skating - 24. November 2014.

ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final Day in Korea

With Chinese, Russian, Czech and Italian victories, there was nothing to be seen of last season’s Dutch dominance on the final day of the second leg of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating series in Seoul. The Korean World Cup weekend finished with the Ladies’ 1000m, the men’s second 500m, and the Mass Start for both men and Ladies. In total eight different nationalities topped the podiums.

 

Qishi Li (CHN) celebrates first World Cup win
In the Ladies’ 1000m Qishi Li won her first career World Cup race. Last week she had her first podium appearance with a bronze medal. In Seoul her track record of 1:16.96 was unattainable for Marrit Leenstra (NED), who came second in 1:17.06. Karolina Erbanová (CZE) had her second podium finish of the weekend with bronze in 1:17.33.

Ivanie Blondin (CAN) set 1:18.12 in the second pair. Thanks to a fast 30.4 final lap this time stood until Nao Kodaira set 1:17.88 in the seventh pair. Kodaira had the fastest opener of the field with 18.22 and 28.3 in the first lap, but collapsed and almost lost her advantage in the final lap.

In the eighth pair Erbanová, who like Kodaira is coached by Marianne Timmer, opened in 18.23. She managed to keep her losses limited and with laps of 28.5 and 30.5 arrived in 1:17.33.

The penultimate pair featured Olympic Champion Hong Zhang (CHN), who was defeated by compatriot Li. After a 18.69 opener, Li proceeded with a 28.0 lap, to finish with a 30.1 lap. Leenstra took on Ireen Wüst (NED) in the final pair and Wüst could not keep up with her. Leenstra opened in 18.36, proceeded with 28.4 and 30.2 laps, and had to settle for silver. Wüst only came sixth in 1:18.17.

Leenstra leads the World Cup ranking with 180 points, followed by Li with 170, Wüst with 125 and Erbanová with 115 points. Leenstra and Wüst now both have 36 points to lead the Grand World Cup ranking.

Pact with Pechstein gives Sábliková victory in fast Mass Start Ladies
Martina Sábliková (CZE) won the second Mass Start event this season ahead of Irene Schouten (NED) and Ivanie Blondin (CAN). The winner needed only 7:42.96 to reach the finish line, which was even faster than the men’s race. Last week’s Ladies’ mass start finished in 8:33.

From the very start tactics were different from last week. For the Netherlands, Rixt Meijer escaped and secured the first intermediate sprint points, but the pack reeled her in. In the second sprint, Jelena Peeters (BEL) took the five points and Meijer three.

After those eight laps, good friends Claudia Pechstein (GER) and Sábliková left like a fast tandem and the pack did not react immediately, partly disturbed by a crash of Peeters. The numbers one and two of the 5000m soon had a 150 meter gap. Sáblikova got the 5 points ahead of Pechstein with four laps to go. With three laps to go Pechstein got tired and had to let her friend go.

Sábliková went on to take the solo victory and Pechstein was overtaken by the sprinting pack to finish fourth. Schouten won the sprint of the pack ahead of last week’s winner Blondin.


 

The ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series continues in two weeks in Berlin (GER) on December 5-7, 2014.

For full results of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series 2014/15 please refer to http://www.isuresults.eu/ and http://www.isu.org/en/speed-skating/series/isu-world-cup-speed-skating


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