Tomakomai saw a many firsts. Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) won her first individual World Cup medal, in ladies' 3000m, while Bart Swings (BEL) and Vitaly Mikhailov (BLR) won the first gold of their World Cup careers in 5000m and 1500m respectively. Meantime, the Japanese pleased the home crowed with a good start, winning three of the four events on the first day of competition.
Bart Swings won his first career 5000m World Cup gold in Tomakomai. The Dutch men swept the podium in the 1000m, but had to leave the Team Sprint gold to Russia.
Isabelle Weidemann took her career first individual World Cup medal, when she won the ladies' 3000m on the final day in Tomakomai. Nao Kodaira completed a weekend hattrick with gold in the 1000m, and the Dutch ladies' got their act together to win the Team Sprint.
Ireen Wüst clinched her career 22nd World Cup gold in the 1500m in Tomakomai on Saturday. Nao Kodaira grabbed yet another 500m win and Bo-Reum Kim edged out Francesca Lollobrigida in the Mass Start Sprint.
Belarussian Vitaly Mikhailov won his first career World Cup gold with a sensational solo in the Men's mass start, while the Dutch men swept the 1500m podium and Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) clinched his second 500m win.
Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) clinched his first career World Cup victory in the Men's 500m at the Tomakomai Highland Sports Center on Friday, while Netherlands made a successful change in their Team Pursuit line-up to take gold.
The Japanese ladies struck again with gold in the Team Pursuit and the 500m on the first day of competition in the second leg of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating at the Tomakomai Highland Sports Center.
The new Indoor Arena in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (POL) will host its first international Speed Skating races this weekend. The ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating 2018/19 series will debut at the Arena Lodowa and will be the first of a three leg event. The start lists will feature many new names, because most of last year's Champions are trying their luck in the senior ranks this season.
Will the Japanese Ladies and the Russian Men be able to bring their season-opening form from the indoor rink at Obihiro to the Tomakomai Highland Sports Center this weekend? The coast city, situated 200 kilometre west from Obihiro on the Japanese Hokkaido island, hosts the first outdoor ISU World Cup Speed Skating event since German Inzell in 2008.
The Japanese ladies gave the home crowd something to cheer in Obihiro after winning the Team Pursuit and going on to win two gold medals and one silver. Olympic 5000m Champion Esmee Visser (NED) won her career first World Cup gold medal in the Ladies' 3000m on Sunday, while Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) smashed the opposition in the Men's 1000m. Håvard Lorentzen (NOR) took 500m gold.
Pavel Kulizhnikov left Olympic Champion Kjeld Nuis more than half a second behind to win the Men's 1000m on the final day of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating first leg in Obihiro. Patrick Roest dominated the 5000m and the Netherlands won the Team Sprint.
After two days of sovereign skating on home soil, the Japanese ladies were not able to collect more golds on the final day of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating first leg in Obihiro. Vanessa Herzog won the 1000m, while Esmee Visser clinched her career first World Cup gold in the 3000m, and Russia took home Team Sprint gold.
Denis Yuskov and Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) beat Olympic Champions Kjeld Nuis (NED) and Håvard Lorentzen (NOR) on Day 2 of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Obihiro.
With two gold medals and one silver the Japanese ladies showed their overall strength once more on Day 2 of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Obihiro.
Russia's Aleksandr Rumyantsev, Danila Semerikov and Sergey Trofimov have surprisingly won the first Team Pursuit race of the 2018-2019 ISU World Cup Speed Skating season in Obihiro. Olympic 500m champion Håvard Lorentzen (NOR) was the fastest man on the shortest distance again.