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Kali Christ (CAN) came a long way to win her first international title with gold in the 1500m at the ISU Four Continents Championships in Calgary. Battling injuries more than fighting for medals over the past five years, the 30-year-old from Saskatchewan was the only woman to finish in under two minutes in 1:57.67,while Korean prodigy Park Chaewon pipped two US women to the line to win the Mass Start event on Thursday.
Love the pain
In the final pairing, Christ was up against Sarah Warren (USA), who had the faster opening, but the Canadian quickly caught up and was able to maintain her pace much better.
Warren lost almost two seconds in the final lap and finished in 2:00.41 to take silver.
Sarah Warren (USA) © International Skating Union (ISU)
“The last lap is always pretty tough, especially being a little bit tired, but I really like it because that's where your heart can come out,” Warren said.
“It hurt pretty badly and my pair (Christ) was having a really good one today, so it was nice being able to chase her. It definitely hurt, but you’ve got to love the pain if you're going to be a speed skater.”
Christ knows everything about pain. Her path to a career-first international title had definitely not been easy.
“This is one of the first races in three or four years that I've I felt good again,” she explained. “I know how I got here, and I’m really glad how it turned out.
“I've been having this hip problem since 2016. It’s pretty good (now), but it does take me a bit of time to get into the skating in the season.
“And in June 2019, I ended up with a concussion that put me out for a good six or seven months. Then Covid hits and I didn't have a chance to race again the year after that.
“So I just haven’t had a lot of racing experience over the last couple of years. It’s take a toll on me and now it’s starting to feel real. I feel like myself again.”
In two weeks’ time, Christ will be fighting for an Olympic ticket at the Canadian skate-off: “It will be an uphill battle, but as long as I go there and have fun I will be happy with what I achieve.”
Before Christ and Warren took to the ice, Jamie Jurak (USA) had set the fastest time in the penultimate pairing. She skated alone clocking 2:01.89, after her opponent and title favorite Nadezhda Morozova (KAZ) got disqualified for a second false start.
“I really wasn't expecting anything,” Jurak says. “Because I haven't been training the 1500m. So I was like, well, I'm just gonna go out and do the best that I can. I guess it was good enough for third.”
Waiting game pays off for Park in Mass Start
Korea and the USA had a numerical advantage, with two skaters on the ice in the women’s Mass Start race, but the two strongest teams decided to make it a 16-lap waiting game.
“We’re just trying to stay safe, not getting in any trouble and see what decisions other people would make during the race,” Dessie Weigel (USA) said.
Laura Gömez (COL) and Zul Altan-Ochir (MGL) did not want to play along, fighting for intermediate sprint points, and Gómez even tried to escape the pack halfway through the race.
In the end, though, the pace of the USA women heading into the final two laps was too much.
Jurak (USA) and Weigel seemed on their way to US one-two, but Park Chaewon (KOR) pipped them to the line.
Chaewon Park (KOR, right) © International Skating Union (ISU)
“I was waiting for the last lap, and the sprint went very well,” the 19-year-old said. In November, Park came second twice in the Junior World Cup Mass Start races.
The Four Continents Championships are something different, she said: “(Racing in the) seniors is harder than the Junior World Cup. But it was a lot of fun for me.”
Jurak has no regrets about coming in second, as she completed the medal set after gold in Wednesday’s 3000m and bronze in Thursday’s 1500m.
“It’s really cool that I could do that,” she smiled.
Weigel eventually took bronze. The 27-year-old fell in the first half of the race, but was able to get back quickly because the pace was slow.
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About the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships
As of season 2019/20 the Four Continents Championships are organized annually. The format for the Championships shall be decided by the ISU Council. The order of races and competitions for each day will be decided by the ISU in consultation with the organizer and the ISU Speed Skating Technical Committee. The format of the 2021/22 ISU World Four Continents Speed Skating Championships will have a Single Distance format.
