ISU

The ISU Short Track Speed Skating Chief Referee received two protests during the Beijing 2022 Short Track Speed Skating events of February 7. 

The legendary Arianna Fontana (ITA) skated to gold in the Women’s 500m and Ziwei Ren made China proud by winning the second Short Track gold for the host country in the Men’s 1000m, as the Short Track continued at the Beijing Capital Indoor Stadium on Monday.

The most decorated athlete in Speed Skating history once again managed to rise to the occasion like no other, adding yet another Olympic title to her sheer endless list of honors. In a new Olympic record of 1 minute and 53.28 seconds, Ireen Wüst (NED) took her career third Olympic 1500m gold, her career sixth Olympic gold in total and her 12th Olympic medal.

Technically, Figure Skating has made a huge jump forward. Most likely more quadruple jumps will be performed in Beijing than ever before at the Olympic Winter Games, plus for the first time, women will include quadruple jumps into their performances on Olympic ice. 

Team ROC skated off with the first Figure Skating gold medal of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Monday, as the Team Event concluded with the Pairs and Women’s Free Skating and the Ice Dance/Free Dance. The USA earned the silver medal and Japan claimed the bronze, their first Olympic Team medal.

China’s golden Short Track boys Dajing Wu and Ziwei Ren, the legendary Arianna Fontana (ITA),  Dutch Short Track queen Suzanne Schulting  and more stars are eager to start their individual medal hunt as the Short Track competition continues on February 6 with the Women’s 500m and Men’s 1000m at the Beijing Capital Indoor Stadium.

Speed Skating legend Ireen Wüst (NED) will start her final Olympic campaign chasing a career third 1500m title and a sixth Olympic gold in total at the National Speed Skating Oval on February 7. Four years ago Wüst beat Miho Takagi (JPN) by 0.20s to seize her second Olympic 1500m gold. Takagi will again be one of her main rivals at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. “There’s Takagi, (Brittany) Bowe (USA), Antoinette (de Jong, NED)…”, Wüst named her rivals. “I’m in the mix too.”

Nils van der Poel (SWE) won the men’s 5000m, but it did not come easy. The Swede was still one second behind Patrick Roest (NED) at the 4600m split, only to edge out his Dutch rival with a superb final lap. Roest took silver and Hallgeir Engebråten (NOR) seized a surprise bronze. Finishing in 6 minutes and 8.84 seconds, Van der Poel broke Sven Kramer‘s (NED) 2018 Olympic record, to definitely close off the era of the threefold champion, who finished in a disappointing ninth place.

Team ROC moved into the lead as the Figure Skating Team Event continued at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Sunday with the Women’s Short Program and the Men’s Free Skating.

Host country China clinched their first medal at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and it was the gold in the Mixed Relay as the Short Track Speed Skating competition started at the Beijing Indoor Stadium Saturday. It was a turbulent competition that saw favorites tumbling. The Mixed Relay with teams consisting of two women and two men is a new Olympic event.  

Irene Schouten (NED) lived up to the expectations when Speed Skating got underway with the Women’s 3000m at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games on Saturday. Defying the pressure of being the top favorite, she won in a new Olympic record time of three minutes and 56.93 seconds. Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) and Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) came in second and third.

“Nils van der Poel (SWE) is the big favorite,” said Jorrit Bergsma (NED) two days before the Men’s 5000m in Beijing. The Swedish world record holder has been in a league of his own in the long distances so far this season, but Bergsma will not settle for second just yet: “These are the Olympics and you never know.” Triple Olympic 5000m champion Sven Kramer (NED) knows all about it. The Dutch legend is chasing a career tenth medal in his final individual Olympic race at his fifth Games in Beijing.

Host country China is eying their first possible Short Track gold medal - and maybe first gold of the 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games - when the Short Track competition starts with the Mixed Relay at the Beijing Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

Team USA took the lead as the Figure Skating competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games started Friday with the Men’s, Pairs Short Programs and the Ice Dance/Rhythm Dance of the Team Event. USA edged the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) by two points. Team China follows in third.

The Olympic Speed Skating competition kicks off with the Women’s 3000m on Saturday. For Irene Schouten (NED), it is the start of a campaign in which she strives to equal legendary Soviet Skater Lidia Skoblikova, who won a record of four medals at a single Winter Olympics event in 1960.