Erin Jackson (USA) was the only woman to skate the 500m in less than 37 seconds on Saturday, picking up her fourth win in eight World Cup races so far this season. Kimi Goetz (USA) took silver and Kim Min Sun (KOR) bronze in Salt Lake City, USA. Miho Takagi (JPN) won Saturday’s 1500m to seize her second gold medal of the World Cup weekend, while Canada won the Team Pursuit but Japan grabbed the World Cup Trophy by finishing second in the final race.
Erin Jackson won 500m gold at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA on Saturday © ISU
Jackson celebrates with home crowd
The Utah Olympic Oval felt good for Jackson on Saturday. Having suffered during her not-so-favorite 1000m and finishing eighth on Friday, she felt more at home in the 500m.
With family, friends and an enthusiastic home crowd in the tribunes, the Olympic champion completed her race in 36.90. Teammate Goetz took silver in 37.08, while Kim, last year’s World Cup Trophy winner, took bronze in 37.22.
Despite a little hiccup, Jackson thought she had a solid race.
“I was just hoping to get off the line cleanly, nice and smooth. Then I had kind of a weird thing, my glasses came down off the start, so then I was skating the race with the top (of the glasses) in my vision, so that was a little distracting. But other than that, I felt like the race was clean, not the best technically, but good enough.”
Jackson has a 34-point lead in the World Cup rankings over Kim, but the Korean may have a chance to retain her Trophy because Jackson is considering skipping one of the two 500m races at the final World Cup in Quebec, Canada next week. Jackson joked about her decision.
“I need the rest, I’m old. I’m the oldest one out there. I’m 31. Maybe we’ll shorten the program in Quebec and then get ready for the big show (the World Championships).”
Goetz has already decided not to skate in Quebec. She’ll prepare for the World Championships in Calgary Feb. 15-18 by training in Salt Lake City.
Kimi Goetz will focus on the World Championships after her second-place finish in the 500m at Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Goetz, too, is looking forward to the big show, with Jackson and Kim as her main rivals.
“Femke (Femke Kok, NED) has been in the mix as well. So it's fun, because I get along with all of them, have a huge respect for all of them. Going to the line and not knowing who's going to fall where, it's kind of fun.”
Kim said she had hoped for more in Salt Lake City.
“I’m happy, because I got the bronze medal, but I tried to skate 36.9 or 36.8, but my opener was not good. I hope to do better the next races (in Quebec), and I know the gap is not too big.”
Kim Min Sun took 500m bronze at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Takagi keeps it perfect
Takagi won the 1500m in 1:51.60, making it five out of five in the 1500m this World Cup season.
Miho Takagi is perfect over 1500m at World Cups this season after another win in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Despite her impressive streak, the Japanese superstar was a bit underwhelmed with her own skating.
“I think it was good. The time was not so fast, but all in all the race was okay. My skating is getting better step-by-step, but my feeling has to be better. Maybe it’s because of the high altitude.”
Takagi skated against Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (NED), who finished 0.44 seconds behind Takagi to take silver. Rijpma-de Jong said she enjoyed taking on the best 1500m skater in the field.
“I had a good opponent and that’s a great challenge. I know she’s faster at the start and she can make use of me at the first crossover. That leaves me straggling, which is difficult, but I could chase and that’s could. Looking forward to the World Championships, this is a good experience. I’m happy with the race. I’ve shown that I’m competitive.”
After winning her first individual gold in the 3000m on Friday, Joy Beune (NED) celebrated bronze in the 1500m on Saturday. She, too, was happy to be competitive.
“The gap with Takagi is smaller than it was, or at least not as big as it was. I had a good race, couple of little mistakes, but I’m not a sprinter. To skate a first full lap in 25.8 means I lose too much in the opener. But it’s a personal best and a medal, so I’m satisfied.”
Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong (left to right), Miho Takagi and Joy Beune on the 1500m podium at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Canada back on track
After Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) took a mid-season break and Ivanie Blondin (CAN) was hampered by a COVID-19 infection in December, the Canadian women were able to get their golden Olympic lineup back together to win the Four Continents Team Pursuit title last week. They maintained their winning ways at the final Team Pursuit World Cup of the season.
Valérie Maltais, Isabelle Weidemann and Ivanie Blondin skated to Team Pursuit gold for Canada in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Finishing in 2:54.07, Canada beat Japan (Yuna Onodera, Ayano Sato, Momoka Horikawa) by 1.44 seconds, with Team USA (Brittany Bowe, Mia Manganello Kilburg and Giorgia Birkeland) taking bronze in 2:57.66.
Brittany Bowe, Mia Manganello Kilburg and Giorgia Birkeland were third in Team Pursuit in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Valérie Maltais (CAN) said the win felt good.
“I think it felt better than last week. But I think we finished the race and we're like, okay, we need to get a little bit more together.”
Weidemann stumbled and almost crashed going into the final lap.
“I'm trying to skate really close to Val, and we're working on coming out of the corner a little bit more together. I've been really struggling with that, so I committed and then stepped on the back of her, but I think if we do a little bit more practising for Worlds and clean it up, we have a very solid base.”
Japan won the World Cup Trophy, ahead of Canada and Poland.
Ayano Sato, Yuna Onodera and Momoka Horikawa finished second in Salt Lake City, USA but first in the World Cup standings © ISU
The Netherlands had to skate in the B Division after Beune didn’t wear the mandatory transponders at a race in Poland. Together with Irene Schouten and Marijke Groenewoud, Beune faced a tough task to qualify the team for the World Championships. They eventually managed to qualify at the cost of eighth-ranked Italy, by skating the season’s best time of 2:53.42 in the B Division.
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Where to watch
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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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