Miho Takagi (JPN) took full advantage of Jutta Leerdam’s (NED) absence in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland, crushing the field in the 1000m on Sunday to overtake the Dutch leader in the World Cup standings. Brittany Bowe (USA) celebrated a long-awaited comeback on the podium, coming in second ahead of teammate Kimi Goetz.
Wrapping up the weekend in the Mass Start, Irene Schouten (NED) made up for what she said was a “dramatic” 3000m race on Friday when she edged out Ivanie Blondin (CAN) and Mia Kilburg-Manganello (USA) in a tight bunch sprint.
Takagi takes control in the 1000m
Takagi was the only one to skate under 1 minute and 16s in the 1000m, stopping the clock at 1:15.28. With that time the 29-year-old Japanese was exactly half a second off the track record Brittany Bowe set two years ago.
With her second 1000m gold of the World Cup, Miho Takagi (JPN) overtook the absent Jutta Leerdam (NED) in the standings © ISU
“I think it was better than last week,” Takagi said when she won her third race in Poland after taking gold in the 1500m and Team Pursuit on Saturday.
“Last weekend, my feeling about the skating, the training and my body control was not so good, it’s getting better every week.”
Still, Takagi was not entirely satisfied: “In my opinion, there’s always something I can do better.”
Bowe had 80 World Cup podium finishes to her name when she took to the start line in her 1000m pairing against Takagi, but she has not been seen among the top three very often of late. Crossing the line 0.92s after Takagi, she managed to take her 81st podium with silver in 1:16.20.
“I’m grateful,” Bowe said. “It’s no secret that it’s been a little bit of a struggle for me the past two seasons. Normally, I’m finding myself on the top step of that podium, so I’m trying to just remain patient and positive.
“We’re in a sport of time trial and winning breeds confidence, having success breeds confidence, so not being able to step on the podium Is frustrating but, I’ve been here time and time again.
“I know how sweet it feels to win, and I’m still craving that and hungry for it, and each race this year has gotten a little bit better so I’m setting myself up nicely for February.”
Brittany Bowe (USA, left) returned to the World Cup podium for the first time in a year. Teammate Kimi Geotz, right, took bronze © ISU
Goetz had finished on the podium six times at this year’s first two World Cup meetings in Obihiro and Beijing, but didn’t manage to grab any silverware in Stavanger last week. She hit back with bronze in 1:16.25 to end the first half of the season on a high note.
“It’s been kind of a lackluster last World Cup [in Stavanger], so it’s better to end it with a better race,” Goetz said.
“It’s still not great, but better. I would have wanted to get closer to Miho, my opener is a little slow, my drop was pretty big. There’s a lot of room to improve, I just don’t want to be beaten by a whole second.”
With two golds and two silvers at the distance, Takagi firmly took over the lead in the World Cup standings from the absent Leerdam; Goetz also overtook the Dutch skater, who dropped to third place.
Schouten wins Mass Start but Kilburg-Manganello takes World Cup lead
The woman’s Mass Start was largely uneventful before it ended with a bang. Going into the final lap, Marijke Groenewoud (NED) led the pack with teammate Irene Schouten in her back. The Dutch women seemed to be cruising to victory, but Ivanie Blondin (CAN) had other plans.
Irene Schouten (NED, left) pipped Ivanie Blondin (CAN, right) to the line in a bunch finish at the end of an uneventful Mass Start © ISU
“It was a boring race,” Schouten said. “They all wait to see what we Dutch girls are going to do and then nothing happens and it comes down to a sprint.
“We were positioned well up front with one to go, but then Blondin came on the inside. I thought, oh no, that’s not good. So I went around to keep her in my back and make her lose speed, but then I lost a lot of speed myself too. I could take the gamble because Marijke was still behind me, so if the two of us [Blondin and Schouten] don’t make it, it’s for Marijke.
“But we [Blondin and Schouten] got out of the corner well, with Blondin slightly ahead. I knew that I am a bit faster on the final straight, so I kept believing and I had it.”
Schouten finished just inches ahead of Blondin and Mia Kilburg-Manganello (USA), who took bronze.
The 34-year-old American didn’t realize that coming in third meant she overtook Valérie Maltais (CAN) in the World Cup ranking, because the Canadian finished eighth.
“That’s exciting and it will really be exciting to have that [yellow] helmet cover [marking the World Cup leader in the Mass Start race] on in Salt Lake City [at the next World Cup on January 26-28].”
Mia Kilburg-Manganello (USA, right) joined Blondin and Schouten on the podium but leads them both at the top of the World Cup rankings © ISU
Kilburg-Manganello can look back on a great first half of the season.
“It’s been a really exciting season so far, especially knowing that I’m not at the top of my game yet," she said.
"Unfortunately I have to deal with more third places right now, but I think maybe it will be something else when it really matters, and the World Championships is all that matters. Now we train through and I race five races every weekend, it’s a big circuit for me in the fall, but now we go home and train for February.”
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ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series events 2023/24:
Nov 10 - 12, 2023 Obihiro /JPN
Nov 17 - 19, 2023 Beijing /CHN
Dec 01 - 03, 2023 Stavanger /NOR
Dec 08 - 10, 2023 Tomaszów Mazowiecki /POL
Jan 26 - 28, 2024 Salt Lake City /USA
Feb 02 - 04, 2024 Québec /CAN
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