ISU

Fresh coaches, an influx of youthful talent, and a supportive atmosphere are helping turn what was a strong if aging China Short Track Speed Skating squad into one that is looking to the future with relish.

After the first half of the Speed Skating season, Miho Takagi (JPN) comfortably leads the Women’s 1500m World Cup ranking. Collecting silverware on the ice may seem to be business as usual for the Japanese superstar, but Takagi seriously contemplated hanging up her blades after winning three Olympic silvers and a gold in Beijing last season. She eventually decided to go on, but chose a different path, leaving the Japanese national squad to team up with former Japan national coach Johan de Wit (NED) as her private trainer.

“It was a beautiful Netherlands-Norway battle,” said Patrick Roest (NED) after he retained the European Allround title in a tight dual with home favorite Sander Eitrem (NOR) in Hamar, Norway. The Dutchman almost blew his chances with a mistake at the final crossing with his Norwegian rival in the 1500m, but managed to regroup in a thrilling final 10,000m.

Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (NED) took her third consecutive European Allround title in Hamar on Sunday. Building a solid lead with distance victories in the 500m and the 1500m, the 27-year-old Dutchwoman managed to keep in touch with Marijke Groenewoud (NED) and Ragne Wiklund (NOR) in the long distances to seize the overall classification.

“Winning a sprint combination is about skating four distances and you can’t afford any mistakes,” agreed the Dutch gold and silver ISU European Sprint Championship medalists on Saturday, for very different reasons. Merijn Scheperkamp (NED) said it with a big smile after he bagged his career first European Sprint title in Hamar; Hein Otterspeer (NED) said it in agony after blowing his title chances with a near-crash in the second 500m on Saturday.

“This was one of the goals on my list for this year,” Jutta Leerdam (NED) said after she successfully defended her European Sprint title in Hamar, Norway. The 24-year-old Dutchwoman finished the tournament in style, winning both the 500m and the 1000m on Saturday.

With only 0.995 points separating the first seven skaters in the ranking, the men’s Sprint tournament at the ISU European Speed Skating Championships in Hamar (NOR) is very tight at the halfway point. Hein Otterspeer (NED) leads by just 0.14s after making amends for a bumpy 500m with a solid win in the 1000m.

Jutta Leerdam (NED) was in a league of her own on the first day of the women’s European Sprint Championships in Hamar, Norway. After coming second in the 500m, the defending champion crushed the field in the 1000m to take a 0.590-point lead over Femke Kok (NED) at the halfway point. Austrian Vanessa Herzog follows in third place, 1.750 points behind the leader.

This year, the ISU European Speed Skating Championships at the Hamar Vikingskipet  (January 06-08, 2023) in Norway, will be held in an Allround and Sprint format this season. Two years ago, all four titles went to the Netherlands. In Hamar, Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong and Patrick Roest will defend their Allround titles, while Jutta Leerdam hopes to retain her Sprint crown. The Men’s Sprint Champion Thomas Krol did not qualify at the Dutch trials, leaving the title up for grabs in an open field.

Succession Plan for ISU Director General Position

Four gold medals in four races. Jutta Leerdam (NED) set a perfect streak in 1000m at the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series so far. After a summer of change, the 23-year-old Dutchwoman had not expected such a prolific season start.

Coaches and athletes are in firm agreement: challenges remain but USA Short Track Speed Skating is “definitely on the up again”.

“I think I can be an example now, that it's possible to combine both ice skating and inline skating,” says Felix Rijhnen. A twofold world champion on inline skates, the 32-year-old German seized his first World Cup win on the ice in the Mass Start at the first ISU World Cup Speed Skating event of the 2022/23 season in Stavanger (NOR). Rijhnen is hungry for more success on the ice, especially in the 5000m, his favorite distance.

In the first of a new series, Pascal Dion (CAN) shares an inside view on great friend, team-mate and occasional rival Steven Dubois (CAN). And then Dubois gets his own back.

After winning silver medals in the 1500m and the 500m, Jordan Stolz (USA) concluded the back-to-back World Cup events in Calgary by taking gold in the intermediate distance on Sunday.