Ragne Wiklund (NOR) brought home the long distance World Cup in style in Tomaszów Mazowiecki on Friday. After already having secured the trophy with a gold medal in the 3000m last week, the 22-year-old Norwegian hammered out a track record to win her fourth of five 3000m races this season. In the 500m Vanessa Herzog (AUT) surprised Kim Min Sun (KOR), who was undefeated in the previous five races this season. The Korean did secure the World Cup Trophy in the shortest distance by coming second on Friday.
Wiklund keeps up winning rhythm
Wiklund completed her 3000m race on Friday night in 4:02.79, more than three seconds faster than her winning time the previous week, and 1.21s faster than the 2021 track record set by Olympic Champion Irene Schouten (NED), who is absent from this season’s final two World Cups in Poland.
Ragne Wiklund stormed to a track record in the final 3000m World Cup race of the season © ISU
“The track record was a surprise,” said Wiklund. “Last weekend my timing felt a bit off, I knew I had to change my timing and it’s nice to see how small adjustments make a big difference.
“[Last week] I was a bit slow in my movement, even though I set out at the same speed, I got way more tired, and I didn’t make my entries [to the corners] very well. It felt as if I skated ten meters too much every corners. [This week] I had a lot of focus on my rhythm. Instead of getting those long strokes into the corner, I tended to do an extra stroke.”
Wiklund ended the World Cup season top of the 3000m standings © ISU
With four 3000m wins and the World Cup trophy under her belt, Wiklund enters the World Championships in Heerenveen (2-5 March) as a favorite in the long distance races
“It’s going to be weird,” she laughed. “It’s the first time I’m going into the World Championships with a lot of good results behind my name already.
“But I think I’m just going to leave that behind, really enjoy my final 3000m of the year, and celebrate the whole season.”
With her track record, Wiklund was one of the few women to skate the 3000m faster than last week, but silver medalist Martina Sáblíková (CZE) was another one. The Czech veteran shaved 0.37 off last week’s mark, finishing in 4:05.67.
“Ragne skated very well,” said Sáblíková. “Every lap in 31s, no one is able to skate so fast on this ice, but I’m so happy with my own race.”
Martine Sabilikova was thrilled to claim another World Cup silver in Poland © ISU
Sablikova had suffered a leg injury after a crash in training at the Calgary Olympic Oval last December, and the two consecutive World Cup silvers have given her a confidence boost ahead of the season’s climax in Heerenveen.
“I hope I will be at my best level at the World Championships, but I don’t know what result that will be, because there’s so many good skaters and the ice in Heerenveen is so much faster. You have to open fast and then you have to keep the speed. Here [in Tomaszów Mazowiecki], you have to find speed in pushing, it’s different.”
Joy Beune (NED) was not able to beat the 3000m time she set last week, but she did take home her first World Cup medal of the season, ending up third in the long distance ranking too.
Joy Beune won her first World Cup medal of the season in Poland © ISU
“My race was all or nothing, which is sort of my style of skating. I was able to maintain the rhythm well,” she said.
After a change of teams [from coach Jac Orie to the team of Erwin and Martin ten Hove and Erik Bouwman], the 23-year-old felt relieved.
“The way we train is different, and it suits me well. I feel happy and there’s great people round me. We’re in a great flow and I’m looking forward to the World Championships.”
First World Cup win since 2020 for Herzog
Vanessa Herzog said it plain and simple: “I came close last weekend, and today I did a really good one and managed to beat her.”
The 2019 500m World Champion had struggled to find her winning ways, suffering many physical setbacks over the past couple of years, but this season she seems to have found the right groove just in time for the season’s climax.
Vanessa Herzog ended Kim Min Sun's unbeaten run in the World Cup 500m competition © ISU
With a time of 37.96, Herzog was the only women to skate under 38 seconds in Tomaszów Mazowiecki on Friday. Kim Min Sun (KOR), who had won all five previous World Cup races in the shortest distance this season, came second in 38.08, thus securing the World Cup trophy.
Kim Min Sun claimed the 500m World Cup trophy despite defeat in Poland © ISU
“At the moment, it feels right,” said Herzog after her first World Cup win since 7 March 2020. “I'm not really in ‘peak’ peak, but I'm in, but there’s two more weeks to go [until the World Championships].”
Jutta Leerdam (NED) finished third in 38.14. The Dutchwoman, who won the first four 1000m World Cup races this season before skipping the fifth one last week, was happy to be competitive in the shortest distance too.
Jutta Leerdam ended the World Cup season with a fourth 500m podium finish © ISU
“I felt that I could have won today, and that’s a feeling I’d never had before in the 500m,” the 24-year-old said. "I had two or three real mis-strokes, at the start and another one at the backstretch, I could have gone faster.
“But I was on the 500m World Cup podium four times this season, and today’s race gives me the feeling that I really belong on that podium. I’m looking forward to the 500m at the Worlds. Surely, I am one of the contenders and I’ve never been a contender in the 500m before at the World Championships.”
Program
The second of two back-to-back Tomaszów Mazowiecki World Cups events starts with the 1500m and the Team Sprint for Men, and the 500m and 3000m for Women on Friday. On Saturday, the Women will skate the 1500m and the Team Sprint, while the Men take on the 500m and the 5000m, and the Sunday schedule features the 1000m and Mass Start for both genders.
For all information about the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series, please visit the webpage here.
World Cup Standings - Men
World Cup Standings - Women
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch the World Cup sessions (local time) via their national broadcaster/channel.
For countries where there are no broadcasters, 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.
ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series events 2022/23:
Nov 11 - 13, 2022 Stavanger /NOR
Nov 18 - 20, 2022 Heerenveen/ NED
Dec 09 - 11, 2022 Calgary /CAN
Dec 16 - 18, 2022 Calgary /CAN
Feb 10 - 12, 2023 Tomaszów Mazowiecki /POL
Feb 17 - 19, 2023 World Cup Final - Tomaszów Mazowiecki /POL
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