Miho Takagi returned to winning ways at the Calgary Olympic Oval on Saturday ©Getty Images
Miho Takagi (JPN) was back on top again in the 1500m at the third event of the ISU World Cup series on Saturday. The Japanese world record holder posted a time of 1 minute and 52.54s at the Calgary Olympic Oval. Takagi did not skate the Team Pursuit, but her Japanese team-mates Ayano Sato, Momoka Horikawa and Sumire Kikuchi managed to seize a silver medal behind Olympic champions Canada.
Takagi wins it in the first half
Takagi won the first 1500m World Cup race in Stavanger, Norway, in November, but had to settle for silver behind Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (NED) a week later in Heerenveen, the Netherlands. Starting in the penultimate pairing at the Calgary Oval, she knew what time to aim at. Rijpma-De Jong had already stopped the clock at 1:52.93 in the previous pairing.
Takagi made the difference in the first part of the race, opening 25.1 and skating a first full lap in 27.3, whereas Rijpma-de Jong had set 25.7 and 28.0.
After the fast first 700m, Takagi had a 1.35s gap over Rijpma-de Jong, but then she started struggling. At the finish line, she had just a 0.39s advantage.
Takagi’s pair-mate Nadezhda Morozova (KAZ) managed to keep the gap with Takagi within a second at the 700m and 1100m split, and almost managed to catch up at the final straight. The fresh Four Continents Champion from Kazakhstan eventually finished 0.28s adrift, which was fast enough for silver.
Takagi was happy with her medal, but less so with her race.
“My skating was not so good, I have got to improve. This season I only started the 1500m from the inner lane, and today I had drawn the outer lane. I have to learn to adapt to that better, and my last lap was very bad.”
On Sunday Takagi will skate the 1000m. She’s the Olympic champion in that distance, but has finished second twice in the World Cup this season.
“I think I can do better [than in the 1500m], because it’s not so far. I was second twice, so I want to beat Jutta Leerdam (NED).”
Despite dropping from gold to bronze, Rijpma-de Jong was happy with her result, setting her second-best career time in the 1500m.
“I had a couple of mis-strokes at the start. My opener could have been better, then I skated three really smooth full laps. It was not a top race, but then to end up only four tenths behind with that, I can only be satisfied.”
Canada lives up to status
Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) and team-mates Ivanie Blondin and Valérie Maltais lived up to their own expectations in the Team Pursuit, finishing in 2 minutes and 54.49s.
Valerie Maltais, Ivanie Blondin, and Isabelle Weidemann earn gold for Canada in the Team Pursuit ©ISU
“We’re the Olympic gold medalist, we don't expect less than winning the Team Pursuit every time that we show up on the ice,” said Weidelmann. “This is definitely not as fast as maybe we would like, but I think that what's important is that we have a three-second-gap with the other teams. So I think it shows how strong our team is and at some point that's what matters.”
After Friday’s disappointing 11th place in the 3000m, Weidemann was glad to be able to bounce back:
“I was really upset with how yesterday went, I still don't really know what happened or why I performed so poorly. So I've been really happy that I was able to contribute to the team today and come back. It's a new day and we have new goals to attack.”
New line-ups for Japan and USA
Behind Canada, Japan took silver in 2:57.67. Sato, who celebrated her 26th birthday, had been nervous to start without Miho and Nana Takagi (JPN), with whom she had been skating for years. Nana quit skating after last year’s Olympic Games. Miho is still part of the team, but decided to skip the Team Pursuit because of a busy individual program in Calgary. Horikawa and Kikuchi replaced the Takagi sisters.
“I was very nervous to race without Miho,” Sato said, “But we have new team members and we were confident that we could show the strength of Japan.”
Sato wasn’t sure how much time the new Japan team would need to bridge the gap with Olympic champions Canada.
“We have to become stronger individually, as well as a team.”
Team USA took bronze in 2:57.96, with Mia Kilburg-Manganello, Giorgia Birkeland and Brittany Bowe (USA), who made her comeback on the ice after skipping this season’s first two World Cups.
Brittany Bowe, Mia Kilburg and Giorgia Birkeland of the USA on their way to Team Pursuit silver ©ISU
The American women have followed the footsteps of their male compatriots, who have been training specifically on the Team Pursuit for years already. Bowe had even changed her summer routine.
“It's been a really exciting summer. I've joined the long-distance team and been training with these ladies all summer. We've been working hard at some Team Pursuit stuff. So to come out here, I think we skated the absolute best we could have today and to win a bronze medal. We're all very excited about that.”
Kilburg-Manganello agreed, saying the American team would only improve.
“It's our first season training together. So it's work in progress, but we're excited about the progress made so far.”
Program
The first Calgary World Cup starts with the 1500m and the Team Pursuit for Men, and the 500m and 3000m for Women. On Saturday the Women will skate the 1500m and the Team Pursuit, while the Men take on the 500m and the 5000m, and the Sunday schedule features the 1000m and Mass Start.
For all information about the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series, please visit the webpage here.
World Cup Standings - Men
World Cup Standings - Women
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch the World Cup sessions (local time) via their national broadcaster/channel.
For countries where there are no broadcasters, the ISU will offer a live stream on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. You will find the full list on the Where to watch webpage here.
ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series events 2022/23:
Nov 11 - 13, 2022 Stavanger /NOR
Nov 18 - 20, 2022 Heerenveen/ NED
Dec 09 - 11, 2022 Calgary /CAN
Dec 16 - 18, 2022 Calgary /CAN
Feb 10 - 12, 2023 Tomaszów Mazowiecki /POL
Feb 17 - 19, 2023 World Cup Final - Tomaszów Mazowiecki /POL
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