Wüst won the 1500m, as expected, and thus secured the World Cup. In the penultimate pair, Lotte van Beek (NED) beat Julia Skokova (RUS) with a strong race, winning by more than a second and a half.
With a 25.49 opening, followed by laps of 28.1, 29.3 and 31.4, she crossed the finish line in 1:54.47. Skokova, finishing in 1:56.14, was also faster than everybody before her.
Then Wüst and Brittany Bowe (USA) skated and Bowe started hardly faster than Van Beek, with Wüst a tenth of a second slower.
Both recorded a 28.1 first lap, but Bowe continued with 30.1 and 32.7 to finish just outside the podium; Wüst continued with 29.1 and 30.8 for the second best time ever skated in Thialf of 1:53.68.
Thus Wüst won the World Cup with 530 points, Van Beek passed Bowe to take second place in the rankings with 430 and Bowe finished third with 389.
Wüst said: “I had not expected such a fast time when I saw the times of the skaters in the first pairs, but then I felt the ice and it felt very good and Lotte skated 1:54. So then I gave it my all. I will not race the 3000 because on the road to the World Allround title one has to make choices. So in Inzell I skipped the 1000 and here I will skip the 3000. The World Cup to me is part of my training. Knowing I could win the 1500m World Cup title gave me just a bit of extra motivation.
In the Ladies’ Mass Start, Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) won well ahead of Irene Schouten (NED) and Ivanie Blondin (CAN). Last week’s winner, Claudia Pechstein (GER), tried to move to the front of the pack on the inside but found herself locked in.
With her win, the multiple inline world champion from Italy claimed 200 points, Schouten followed with 190 and Janneke Ensing (NED), second last week and now fifth, finished third with 155 points.
Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final - Heerenveen (NED) - Medal Winners Day 1
1500m Ladies
1 | Ireen Wüst | NED | 1:53.68 |
2 | Lotte van Beek | NED | 1:54.47 |
3 | Julia Skokova | RUS | 1:56.14 |
Mass Start Ladies
1 | Francesca Lollobrigida | ITA |
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2 | Irene Schouten | NED |
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3 | Janneke Ensing | NED |
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World Cup Final Ranking
1500m Ladies
1 | Ireen Wüst | NED | 530 |
2 | Lotte van Beek | NED | 430 |
3 | Brittany Bowe | USA | 389 |
Mass Start Ladies
1 | Francesca Lollobrigida | ITA | 200 |
2 | Mariska Huisman | NED | 190 |
3 | Janneke Ensing | NED | 155 |