Patrick Roest (NED) and Davide Ghiotto (ITA) finally did away with the legends of the past in the 5000m at the fastest ice on earth on Sunday. Roest came out on top in a tight battle for gold in the longest distance at the World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA. Finishing in 6:02.98, he broke Sven Kramer’s Dutch record set in Calgary over 16 years ago. Ghiotto celebrated silver in 6:04.23, to beat the Italian record set by Enrico Fabris in 2009. Jordan Stolz (USA) also skated the 5000m, but the American youngster felt the legs burning after winning his fourth gold medal of the weekend in the 1000m just 20 minutes earlier.
Patrick Roest celebrates his record-setting win at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Record mission
Roest and Ghiotto have crossed swords many times before in a battle of attrition. Ghiotto won the only 10,000m race this World Cup season, while Roest took the three previous 5000m wins, twice beating his Italian rival in a face-to-face heat.
“It’s always exciting to skate against Ghiotto. He always goes in fast, and then you’ll have to see if you’re going to manage to catch up.”
Ghiotto also likes to take on Roest.
“I know he’s the best skater and he was trying to take the record. I spoke with him before the race and he said to me that he would start fast. I said OK, I will try to stay with you.”
Roest started fast indeed, but three laps into the race Ghiotto took over the initiative. Skating a string of nine sub-29-second laps, the Italian took a 20-meter lead over his Dutch rival.
Roest offered a recap.
“I started fast because I wanted to skate a good time, but we knew the ice was not as fast as we had hoped for, so then it becomes a battle. With five laps to go, Ghiotto kept on skating 28-second laps and didn’t dare to keep it up.”
Whereas Roest didn’t dare to keep it up, Ghiotto said he wasn’t able to in the last two excruciating laps.
“In the first part we were going together, and with five laps to go I tried to take a little gap, but I was finished with two laps to go. He was incredible.”
Davide Ghiotto finished second after a tough two final 5000m laps at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Roest managed to make up a 1.05-second deficit. Finishing with three 28-second laps he beat Ghiotto by 1.25 seconds.
“I had to accelerate towards the end and I’m happy I still had it left in the tank.”
Roest beat Kramer’s national record, which also stood as a world record for 10 years between 2007 and 2017. Fabris (ITA) held the world record before Kramer and his Italian record had stood since 2009.
Ghiotto was thrilled to set a new standard.
“I’m very happy. Fabris was a great champion. When I started the race I knew I had to get close to step on to the podium today.”
Before Roest and Ghiotto fought their intense battle, Ted-Jan Bloemen (CAN) had also been on a record mission. The Canadian had hoped to be the first to skate 5000m under six minutes, but he had to settle for 6:06.88 and a bronze medal. He was 5.32 seconds slower than the world record set by Nils van der Poel in Salt Lake City in 2021.
“It was all or nothing for the world record today. This race was a good as it gets. I had a plan and the execution was perfect. I did what I could. My speed in the beginning of the race was exactly right. I could stabilize well in the middle, but the conditions were just not good enough to keep up those lap times on technique only. The air pressure was just a bit too high, therefore you have to make the extra effort, and I depend on my technique. That was not enough today.”
Ted-Jan Bloemen had his sights set on a 5000m world record at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Bloemen vowed to give it another try at the high-altitude rink in Calgary, Canada at the World Championships Feb. 15-18, where he will skate the 5000m and his favorite 10.000m.
Stolz wins final 1000m
Stolz decided to skate the 5000m because he wants to prepare for the World Allround Championships at the end of the season in Inzell, Germany. The 19-year-old American ended up 15th, in a time of 6:25.28.
“I went to the start line, the starter said ready, I went down and my legs were already burning. I knew it was going to be tough.”
Only 20 minutes before he got to the 5000m start line, Stolz crossed the 1000m finish line in 1:06.32. That was .95 seconds slower than his incredible world record time of 1:05.37 in the same distance on Friday, yet it was enough to seize a fourth gold medal at the Salt Lake City World Cup.
Jordan Stolz skated to a fourth gold medal Sunday at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Stolz said Friday’s 1000m and Saturday’s 500m and 1500m kicked in during his second 1000m race.
“I felt like everything was going well until I got to that first outer. My legs already burned, that’s for sure. I just held on to the last lap as best as I could.”
With Stolz battling the fatigue, Tim Prins (NED) closed in on the world champion. The 19-year-old Dutchman skated a personal best in 1:06.40 to finish second and take his first World Cup podium.
“That was a great run. My best this year. This was what I’ve been doing in training all week, what my coaches said I did well, sit in tight, hit every stroke, keep your composure. I swerved out of the corner a bit, but I thought to myself that’s only because I’m going so incredibly fast.”
Tim Prins finished just .08 seconds behind Jordan Stolz in the 1000m race Sunday at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Prins was just .08 seconds slower than Stolz.
“He’s human, too, and perhaps I’m closer to him than I think or than most people think. I feel that I’ve got the speed, but 1:05.4, that’s not for me yet. I have to be honest about it.”
Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) took bronze in 1:06.72. The 2020 World Sprint champion was happy to skate a personal best, but sad because he missed the Japanese record set by Taiyo Nonomura last week by .04 seconds.
As with Prins, the benchmark for Shinhama is Stolz. Shinhama was just .03 seconds behind Stolz at the 600m split.
“I copied his first 600m, but his last lap made the difference. This year, the gap in the 1000m might be too big, but I’m aiming at the Olympic Games and I hope to raise my game step by step.”
Tatsuya Shinhama took 1000m bronze Sunday at the ISU World Cup in Salt Lake City, USA © ISU
Kjeld Nuis (NED) finished fourth and crashed hard after crossing the finish line. Nuis had been ill prior to the World Cup weekend and appeared to have blacked out. He hit his head, but seemed to be OK. The team did not want to take any risks, so Nuis was taken to hospital for a medical check-up.
Nuis retained his third-place World Cup ranking behind leader Ning Zhongyan (CHN), who finished seventh on Sunday, and Stolz.
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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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