There were many highlights during the first ever ISU World Cup Speed Skating in the Arena Lodowa in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland.
The Japanese ladies collected their 10th consecutive World Cup gold in the Team Pursuit, while the Japanese men also claimed Team Pursuit gold in front of Norway and Russia.
Konami Soga, Ayano Sato and Miho Takagi (JPN) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)
Skating without Olympic 500m Champion Nao Kodaira, the Japanese women also grabbed their first World Cup gold in the last Team Sprint race of the season. Konami Soga, Ayano Sato and Miho Takagi finished the three laps in 1:27.82. However, the overall Team Sprint World Cup title went to Russia. Olga Fatkulina, Angelina Golikova and Yekaterina Shikhova secured top spot by coming second in 1:28.18, one place ahead of the Netherlands (Femke Beuling, Letitia de Jong and Ireen Wüst).
Brittany Bowe (USA) was in a league of her own in the ladies' 1000m on the opening day. The American was more than a second faster than second-placed Miho Takagi (JPN) and Daria Kachanova clinched her second bronze medal of the day.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Herzog (AUT) won the ladies' 500m. Olga Fatkulina(RUS) took silver in and her compatriot Daria Kachanova collected her second career bronze World Cup medal. Vanessa Herzog (AUT) skated another impeccable 500m to take her second gold medal of the weekend on Saturday. Bowe trailed by 0.28 seconds to take the bronze medal while Olga Fatkulina (RUS) took a second straight silver.
Miho Takagi (JPN) clinched her first World Cup 1500m gold of the season. Wüst crossed the line 0.89 seconds later to take silver. Brittany Bowe came third in 1:58.25.
Esmee Visser (NED) got back to winning ways on Sunday as she took gold in the 5000m in front of Isabelle Weidemann (CAN), and Natalya Voronina (RUS) who took bronze.
Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) won the 500m and the 1000m. In the 500m the Russian rushed to a track record time of 34.83. Ryohei Haga (JPN) came second in 34.98 and Olympic Champion Håvard Lorentzen (NOR) took bronze in 35.10.
Russia dominated the men's competition on the second day. Pavel Kulizhnikov, who won the 500m and the 1000m on Friday, skated yet another track record to win the 500m. Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) took the silver medal and his compatriot Yuma Murakami (JPN) came third.
Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)
Denis Yuskov (RUS) took gold in the 1500m. Seitaro Ichinohe (JPN) came second and Min-Seok Kim(KOR) took the bronze medal.
Marcel Bosker (NED) edged out two Russian rivals to take gold in the 10,000m. Russians Aleksandr Rumyantsev and Danila Semerikov came second and third.
