The Polish revolution continued with the first 1500m victory for Jan Szymanski (POL) and another 500m win for Artur Was (POL) on the final day of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating weekend in Berlin. Norway took both silvers. A tight win for Ireen Wüst (NED) over Heather Richardson (USA) and Marrit Leenstra (NED) made the 1500m ladies exciting and Sang-Hwa Lee took another 500m win. Irene Schouten (NED) and Seung-Hoon Lee (KOR) took gold in the Mass Start. Five skaters improved their personal best times, bringing the total of this weekend to 27, including four national records.
Smallest margin ever on ladies’ 1500 for Wüst over Richardson and Leenstra
Just like in Saturday’s 1000m, Brittany Bowe (USA) met compatriot Heather Richardson in the first pair of the 1500m on Sunday. Bowe won the 1000m, but had to leave this race to Richardson, who set 1:55.91 against 1:56.12 for Bowe. They both had a low 25 opener, but Richardson was 0.2 faster and kept that advantage throughout the race in which both ladies had a 28.5 and a 30.3 lap to finish with 31.8 (1.9 for Bowe).
In the sixth pair Marije Joling (NED) was the first skater after the Americans to skate below 1:58 (1:57.78), but the first skaters to really challenge the first pair were Marrit Leenstra and Ireen Wüst (NED) in the final pair. They opened 25.8, Wüst then had a 28.6 lap, gaining 0.3 on Leenstra. In the second lap Leenstra gained a little back with a 29.8 lap, versus 29.9, and she continued with 31.3 to set 1:55.93. Wüst had to give it all for a final 31.4 lap and managed to stay ahead in 1:55.89. She was only two hundreds faster than Richardson and claimed gold. Leenstra took the bronze and with all medals within 0.04 seconds, the 1500m had the closest podium ever.
Wüst leads the World Cup with 280 points, Leenstra dropped to second with 250 and Ida Njåtun (NOR) is third with 156.
Poland strikes again in Men’s 1500m
After victories in the first 500m by Artur Was (POL) and the Team Pursuit, Jan Szymanski took the third Polish gold of the weekend. With 1:46.80 he was the only skater below 1:47 in the Men’s 1500m.
In the sixth pair Olympic Champion Zbigniew Brodka (POL) faced Bart Swings (BEL). Not Brodka but Swings was the first to skate below 1:48. He had a very even race with laps 26.4, 27.5 and 28.4, finishing in 1:47.24. Brodka set a disappointing 1:48.15 to end up 11th.
In the next pair Jan Szymanski faced Thomas Krol (NED). The Dutchman opened fastest (23.82) and Szymanski’s 24.22 was 0.6 faster than Swings as well. Krol used his opponent on the first crossing and managed a 26.1 lap, while Szymanski had the same lap time as Swings. Szymanski had more fuel left in the tank and managed finish with 27.4 and 28.6, thus leaving Krol (27.9 and 29.2) behind. Krol set 1:47.14 and was faster than Swings as well.
Neither world record holder Shani Davis (USA) nor Olympic medallists Koen Verweij (NED) and Denny Morrison (CAN) could beat Szymanski and Krol.
In the final pair Kjeld Nuis could not maintain his speed and lost much in the last lap, but his pair mate Sverre Lunde Pedersen (NOR) showed more stamina and set lap times of 26.9, 27.3 and 28.6 after a 24.17 start. He finished in 1:47.13 to sneak into second place only one hundredth of a second ahead of Krol. Swings ended up fourth, Davis fifth and Morrison sixth.
Pedersen leads the ranking with 208 points, Nuis is second with 206. Morrison and Szymanski are third and fourth with 165 and 161 points. Wouter Olde Heuvel dropped in the ranking due to absence in Berlin.
Sang-Hwa Lee (KOR) reigns in 500m
Sang-Hwa Lee won the Ladies’ 500m just like Friday. With 37.96 she stayed below 38 again. Heather Richardson clocked 38.07 with the fastest full lap, Nao Kodaira (JPN) was third with 38.11.
The Ladies’ 500m yielded three personal best times in the A-division. Olympic Short Track champion Seung-Hi Park finished below 39 for the first time (38.98) and the other two personal best times were for Dutch youngsters Floor van den Brandt (6th in 38.42) and Bo van der Werff (10th in 38.58).
With her 32nd career World Cup victory Lee equalled Christine Nesbitt (CAN) and Martina Sábliková (CZE) on the seventh place of the all-time best list.
Lee increased her World Cup lead. She has 580 points. Kodaira is second with 470, Boer third with 274 and Van den Brandt fourth with 264. Olga Fatkulina dropped from third to fifth after a disappointing 11th place.
Artur Was makes it a double, Norway back to sprint podium
The Men’s 500m podium was red on Sunday. Artur Was (POL) won the 500m again and Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) was on the podium again as well. Espen Aarnes Hvammen (NOR) took silver to become the first Norwegian on the 500m podium since Ådne Søndrål 12 years ago.
After his poor result on Friday, Olympic silver medallist Jan Smeekens (NED) raced to 35.13. Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) withdrew calling in ill, but his teammate Denis Koval managed to beat Smeekens’ time when he set 35.10. In the next pair Tae-Bum Mo (KOR) finished in 35.12, just behind Hvammen, who opened in 9.67 and finished in 35.06.
In the penultimate pair Olympic champion Michel Mulder saw the clock stop at 35.21 to end up seventh and Saturday’s 1000m winner Nico Ihle (GER) set 34.64 for the eighth spot.
Artur Was faced Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) in the final pair. Was set the fastest opening of the day (9.63) and he kept his advantage in the full lap to finish in 35.03. Dubreuil opened quite slow, 9.86, but with a superb last inner turn he had the fastest final lap with 25.2 to finish in 35.09.
Was said: “It’s a great feeling when I realize that what I do, can bring others some positive emotions.”
Hvammen said: “Silver, and my first podium place. A wonderful race today. Hard work pays off.
“We have a great history and are back on the way up.”
Kulizhnikov retained the lead in the World Cup with 380 points. Dubreuil climbed to rank two with 341, ahead of Smeekens who is third with 329 points.
Irene Schouten (NED) beats Ivanie Blondin (CAN) in Mass Start
In the ladies’ Mass Start Irene Schouten outsprinted Ivanie Blondin (CAN) to take the victory. The pack stayed well together this time. Schouten managed to overtake Blondin through the inside. Behind them, Ye-Jin Jun (KOR) took the bronze.
Schouten leads with 250 points after a third, second and first place. Blondin has the same amount of points after a first, third and second place. Martina Sábliková (CZE), who won last week and finished fifth on Sunday, is third with 195 points.
Seung-Hoon Lee strikes again
In the men’s field Seung-Hoon Lee (KOR) skated attentively and Jorrit Bergsma (NED) tried to control the pack as well, hoping to set up the sprint for his teammate Arjan Stroetinga. The speed was high, Swings and Alexis Contin (FRA) managed to stay in front, but Lee came around the outside while Stroetinga tried to come through the inside. Lee was much faster and he left everybody well behind. Stroetinga and Swings finished second and third.
Lee increased his lead in the World Cup to 270 points. Andrea Giovannini (ITA) is second with 176 and Swings third with 143 points.
Wüst and Kulizhnikov lead Grand World Cup
With only one weekend to go in 2014, Wüst leads the Grand World Cup with 56 points; her main rival Marrit Leenstra (NED) has 49 and Sang-Hwa Lee is third with 39. In her first World Cup appearance this season, previous winner Richardson gathered 24 points. She is ranked 9th.
Kulizhnikov leads the Men’s Grand World Cup with 44 points. Swings is second with 33. Pedersen and Nuis share the third place with 32 points.