Heerenveen, The Netherlands

 #WCSpeed          #SpeedSkating

WCSS NED Ireen Wust (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU) 1073632892

Ireen Wüst (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Wüst (NED) confirmed a need for speed after winning the Ladies' 1500m in a new track record on the Saturday clocking 1:53.30. Brittany Bowe (USA) took silver in 1:54.00 and Yekaterina Shikhova (RUS) clinched the bronze medal in 1:54.03. MihoTakagi (JPN) had to settle for fourth place in 1:54.37.

 

Nao Kodaira (JPN) also broke her own track record to take gold in the 500m. Her 37.17 finish was 0.12 faster than her 2017 record. Vanesse Herzog (AUT) was also faster than Kodaira's previous track record when she clocked 37.23. Brittany Bowe (USA) took bronze in 37.70.

WCSS NED Nana Takagi (JPN) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU) 1073783408

Nana Takagi (JPN) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Nana Takagi (JPN) took her second World Cup win of the season in the Mass Start. The Olympic Champion kept Irene Schouten (NED) at bay in a chaotic final sprint. Ayano Sato (JPN) and Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) came third and fourth. 

 

Thomas Krol (NED) surprised himself and the rest of the world when he stopped the clock at 1:43.78 on the Saturday, in the Men's 1500m. Joey Mantia (USA) had already set 1:44.09 and Patrick Roest (NED) came closest with 1:44.12 in the seventh pairing to take the bronze medal. 

 

WCSS NED Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU) 1074105440

Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) won his fourth 500m World Cup race of the season. Japan's Tsubasa Hasegawa (34.52) and Yuma Murakami (34.55) took silver and bronze respectively. 

WCSS NED Cheonho Um and Jaewon Chung (KOR)2018©International Skating Union (ISU) 1073783186

Start Cheonho Um (KOR) and Jae-Won Chung (KOR) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

In the Men's Mass Start Cheonho Um (KOR) and Jae-Won Chung (KOR) took gold and silver respectively with a perfect team effort in the final lap. The Korean duo took advantage of Bart Swings (BEL), who started his attack early, but had to settle for bronze.

Brittany Bowe (USA) crushed her own 2015 track record by 0.66 seconds to win the 1000m in 1:13.24. The World Cup leader outclassed Miho Takagi (JPN) in the eighth pairing. Takagi was the only other skater to break the 1:14 barrier, but she trailed Bowe by 0.69 seconds, finishing in 1:13.93 to take silver. Yekaterina Shikhova (RUS) grabbed the bronze medal in 1:14.03.

WCSS NED Antoinette de Jong (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU) 933620310

Antoinette de Jong (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Antoinette de Jong (NED) was almost as happy after the 3000m as Bowe was with her victory. Clocking 3:59.41, she missed out on Wüst's 2013 track record by less than a second. Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) took silver in 4:00.12 and Martina Sáblíková (CZE) bronze in 4:00.33.

WCSS NED Patrick Roest (NED) Danila Semerikov (RUS) and Sven Kramer (NED)2018©International Skating Union (ISU) 1074122592

Patrick Roest (NED), Danila Semerikov (RUS) and Sven Kramer (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Nobody expected the 24-year-old Danila Semerikov (RUS) to outskate the two favourites Patrick Roest (NED) and Sven Kramer (NED), not least Semerikov himself, who had never won an individual World Cup gold. But not only did he beat the two Dutchmen, his time of 6:08.96 also managed to break Roest's Thialf track record by 0.02 seconds. Patrick Roest (NED) with 6:09.82 and Sven Kramer (NED) with 6:10.61 had to settle for silver and bronze.  

Kjeld Nuis (NED) made up for his disappointing fifth-place finish in the 1500m the day before by winning the 1000m in 1:07.80. Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) took silver in 1:07.93 and Denis Yuskov (RUS) collected the bronze medal in 1:07.95.

WCSS NED Kjeld Nuis (NED)2018©International Skating Union (ISU)

Kjeld Nuis (NED) 2018©International Skating Union (ISU)