The women’s competition at the 2024 ISU European Short Track Championships was set to be a battle between Hanne Desmet (BEL) and Xandra Velzeboer (NED), who are both in the top four of the overall World Cup rankings.
There was an unfamiliar look to the podium after the first event at Hala Olivia in Gdansk, Poland, on Saturday, however, as Italy's Elisa Confortola and Gloria Ioriatti claimed the two top spots and Rebeka Sziliczei-Nemet (HUN) took bronze.
The result was all the more surprising as the 1500m final had gone according to plan for Desmet and Velzeboer, who had built a large gap ahead of the rest of the pack to set up a two-way race for gold with two laps to go.
Then leader Desmet fell, accidentally dragging her Dutch rival with her.
'Super lucky' Confortola takes advantage – and maiden gold
Instead of the anticipated denouement, a surprised Confortola got to race her teammate Ioriatti for first place, claiming her first international gold medal as well as the first individual top-five finish of her career.
Elisa Confortola (ITA, left) beat teammate Gloria Ioriatti to 1500m gold by three-thousandths of a second after the favourites fell @ISU
"I just wanted to skate for the podium but at some point I was skating for the European title," said the 21-year-old, who beat Ioriatti by 0.003 of a second.
"I'm super happy but at the same time I still can't believe it. I knew that it could be possible to do a very good result but at the same time I know that Xandra and Hanne are very, very strong.
"We were just super lucky at the end, that the two fell. But we were there, and just fighting with my teammate at the end was crazy."
One year ago, the two Italians had been part of the team winning the 3000m bronze medal at the European championships in Gdansk. Now they won their first individual medals together.
Confortola and Ioriatti both won their first individual medals in the race, a year after winning team bronze at the same venue @ISU
"It was amazing. We didn't expect it. We were lucky but I guess that's part of the sport," Ioriatti said.
"I'm just happy to be here and to have made it to the final. Whatever position for me was going to be fine because I skated well. Now, the medal is something amazing and to share it with her [Confortola] is even more amazing."
Sziliczei-Nemet earns bronze from bedlam
In the final of firsts, Sziliczei-Nemet also claimed her first individual international medal.
"I've been wanting to have one for a very long time," she said.
"I felt like I had something very close to it in me, but I know I'm still not there in power, technique or even strategically, but I'm very happy with this result."
Rebeka Sziliczei-Nemet (HUN, right) joined the Italians on the podium with her first individual international medal @ISU
The 24-year-old Hungarian had been in fourth place when the two leaders crashed out.
"I just focused on the top skaters in the race and tried to somehow follow them, see what they were doing and move with them," she said.
"This race pretty much describes our sport. Anything can happen, the ice is very slippery, so you've just got to be ready and be at the right spot at the right time."
Dismayed Desmet can’t explain fall
"I just fell for no reason, maybe because of the ice," Desmet said.
"I felt good, I wasn't tired, I was going fast and I was in the lead. It's not much to say, it happens. I did a good race, it was just unfortunate."
The 1500m, in which Desmet won silver last year, had been one of the 27-year-old’s main targets at the championships.
"I am disappointed, for sure, but it is also not because of a fault I made. It's just about moving on to the next one," she said, adding that there were no hard feelings between the fallen favourites.
"We talked before and after, and fist bumped. We are friends."
Velzeboer shared her feelings.
"I was really not happy. The race went really well, I had a good position for the last laps and I was confident that I was going to be able to pass," she said.
"I felt really close and then it's just sad that it went this way, also for Hanne, of course. It was a really nice race, us two against each other."
Redemption for Velzeboer in the 500m
In the women's 500m final, Velzeboer redeemed herself, taking the gold medal ahead of teammate Selma Poutsma (NED) and Desmet, who finished third.
Xandra Velzeboer (NED) made up for crashing out of the 1500m by winning gold in the 500m ahead of teammate Selma Poutsma @ISU
A world champion and World Cup leader in the distance, Velzeboer was happy to add a European title to her 500m victories.
"It's my first one so I'm really happy to add this one to my list," the 22-year-old said.
"It feels really good. It was really the goal for this weekend. After the 1500 I was maybe even more eager to win this one."
Velzeboer has won three out of five 500m races this World Cup season, always pushed by teammate Poutsma. The duo shared the gold medal when a photo finish could not separate them at the World Cup meet in Seoul (KOR) in December.
"Selma is a really strong competitor and every time it's really close," Velzeboer said.
"I'm really happy to have made it my way to this point, but it's really nice to be skating against her and have this kind of competition, so the level is really high.
"It was exciting in the final, I thought that I would be able to pass her sooner in the race, but I made it exciting in the last lap. I'm happy it went well."
Poutsma ‘close but not close enough’
Poutsma saw the medal as a proof of her consistency, but also a reminder that she still has work to do to beat her teammate.
"It shows that I can really trust on consistent results, and it also means that I'm again so close but not close enough," she said, praising the Dutch rivalry.
"It's pushing both of us to a really high level. For some reason, when she's behind me I go faster than when someone else is behind me, so I think it's really pushing me in a good way."
Hanne Desmet (BEL, right) picked herself up from the 1500m crash to take 500m bronze behind the Dutch skaters @ISU
Desmet did not manage to threaten the Dutch duo but could get some comfort in bagging her first international 500m medal.
"I'm glad with the progress I've made in the 500m. I keep up with the best girls in the world, so that's nice," she said.
"I was not here for the 500m, so a bronze is fine. That's kind of where I expected to be. I wanted to win that 1500m."
For full results, entry lists and further information about the ISU European Short Track Championships 2024, please visit webpage here.
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch the Saturday and Sunday afternoon (local time) ISU European Short Track Championships sessions via their national broadcaster/channel.
For countries where there are no broadcasters and for the qualification and repechage races, 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.
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