Shanghai / China

The inaugural ISU Shanghai Trophy, a combined Short Track Speed Skating and Synchronized Skating event, was held at the Shanghai Oriental Sports Center on March 4-6. Team Paradise (RUS) took the first Shanghai Trophy title in Synchronized Skating while the host China topped every Short Track podium.

Synchronized Skating

6 teams competed at the ISU Shanghai Trophy 2016 in the Short Program and Free Skating. Skating to “Meditation” by Jules Massenet Team Paradise put out a strong Short Program finishing first but encountered difficulties in the Free finishing third.  However with a combined score of 205.33 they kept the lead and took the gold medal. Performing to “The Spell” by Brand X in the Short then “So Much to Prove, Catacombs Dance Off” in the Free, the Haydenettes (USA) skated to silver with a final score of 201.01.  Although Team Surprise (SWE) finished first in the Free Skating with high Elements scores it was not enough to get better than bronze. They ended with a total score of 200.37.

Nexxice (CAN) finished fourth (191.11), Marigold Ice Unity (FIN) were fifth (188.50) and Team Berlin 1 (GER) ended in sixth (158.16). The Junior Synchronized Skating team from China participated in the non-competitive program of the event.

Short Track Speed Skating

China fielded a strong team just a week before the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships that will take place in Seoul (KOR), consequently they won 14 out of the 18 individual medals available.

Ladies

The Chinese Ladies swept the 500m, 1000m and 1500m podiums. 1000m Olympic Champion and three times 500m World Champion Kexin Fan won the first ever Shanghai Trophy 500m title, the 1000m silver medal and the 1500m bronze. Chunyu Qu took gold in the 1000m and silver in the 500m. Yue Lin headed the 1500m podium and stood third in the 500m. Yihan Guo won bronze in the1000m and silver in the 1500m.

Men

500m Olympic Champion and two times World Champion Dajing Wu (CHN) took the gold in the 500m and 1000m bronze. The 1000m race was swept by the Chinese Men, with 1500m Olympic and World silver medalist Tianyu Han on the highest step whom also took the 1500m title.  Jingnan Shi completes the 1000m podium with silver. In the 1500m Yongjin Lim (KOR) finished second while Vincent Jeanne (FRA) ended in third. Shaoang Liu, 2016 Youth Olympic Games 500m and 1000m silver medalist, won silver in the Shanghai Trophy 500m followed by teammate and older brother Shaolin Sandor Liu.

International Mixed Relay

For the first time an International Mixed Relay took place at an ISU event. The Teams were composed by the ISU based on the Overall classification of the 2015/16 ISU World Rankings list.

In the Ladies Relay “Team D” composed of Tifany Huot Marchand (FRA), Jessica Smith (USA), Chunyu Qu (CHN) and Aurelie Monvoisin (FRA) took the gold medal. “Team B” included Yubin Lee (KOR), Selma Poutsma (FRA), Veronique Pierron (FRA) and Sara Luca Bacskai (HUN) and finished second while Hungarian Petra Jaszapati, Chinese Yihan Guo and Yue Lin and Australian Deanna Lockett ended in third as part of “Team C”.

In the Men’s 5000m Relay “Team B” took the win with Jingnan Shi (CHN) Yongjin Lim (KOR) Hongzhi Xu (CHN) Sebastien Lepape (FRA). Vincent Jeanne (FRA) Kai An (CHN) Cole Krueger (USA) and Satoshi Sakashita (JPN) competed as part of “Team F” and won the silver. Finally “Team D” included Firat Yardimci (TUR) Shaoang Liu (HUN) Bence Olah (HUN) and Hiroki Yokoyama (JPN) who won the bronze medal.