Bart Swings acknowledges the crowd after winning his second-straight Mass Start title at the World Single Distances Championships @ISU
“I got beaten by probably the greatest Mass Start skater of all time,” Livio Wenger (SUI) said Saturday after he took bronze behind Bart Swings (BEL), who added a second consecutive Mass Start World title to five World Cup trophies, three European titles and an Olympic gold medal. Wenger himself gave Switzerland an historic first medal at an ISU World Single Distances Championships, while Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu (CAN) celebrated silver in front of an enthusiastic home crowd in the packed Calgary Oval. Before the Mass Start final, Jordan Stolz (USA) defended his 1000m title, one day after doing the same in the 500m.
Swings in control
He was the favorite going into the race and Swings was able to control the men’s Mass Start throughout. Even a late attack by Timothy Loubineaud (FRA) didn’t make him nervous. The Belgian champion set up an early sprint with a little under two laps to go, caught the French escapee, and managed to hold off Gélinas-Beaulieu and Wenger on the finishing straight.
“In the beginning of the race I was happy to counter attack. I hoped for a tough race and maybe even a chance to get into a breakaway myself, but that didn’t happen. By the end of the race, I hoped the Italians (Andrea Giovannini and Daniele Di Stefano) would work a little and they did.”
With Loubineaud up front, Swings couldn’t wait too long to make his own final move.
“I know (Loubineaud) is strong because he did a good 5000m (finishing fourth on Thursday), too. I had already planned to attack at 700m from the finish line. Of course I knew that Antoine is dangerous, but (the situation with Loubineaud up front) didn’t leave me a choice.”
Gélinas-Beaulieu did indeed challenge Swings, but the Belgian kept him at bay. For Gélinas-Beaulieu, silver was redemption after he was unable to compete in his favorite event last season due to a an unlucky mechanical problem at the Canadian trials.
“I thought about this since right after the (2022) Olympics. I'm full of emotions right now. I haven't really processed all of it. I've dreamed of this moment, not even having a medal around my neck, but just having a blast on the ice in the Mass Start, and feeling in full control of what I know I can do.”
Antoine Gélinas-Beaulieu took silver in the Mass Start on Saturday in front of an appreciative home crowd in Calgary @ISU
Wenger was also full of emotions after taking bronze.
“The first for Switzerland I believe. That was a long time in the making and I can't say thank you enough to my coach Shane Dobbin (NZL), who always believed in me for all the tough years. I had to become 31 years old. I only started speed skating at 19, but still, it took a long time and a lot of tears to get here, so I'm super happy right now.”
Livio Wenger (left) finished third in a sprint to the finish to win Switzerland's first medal at a World Single Distances Championships @ISU
Wenger was almost taken out at the beginning of the race in a collision with Bart Hoolwerf (NED), but the Dutchman managed to pick up his Swiss rival as he fell, allowing both skaters to continue the race. That, Wenger said, was true sportsmanship.
“Big sportsmanship to him. He could have just left me there, but he actually helped me out. We already had some fights earlier in the season, but this is also what sportsmanship is. I want to thank him. I couldn't have got the medal without him.”
Stolz tired but sovereign
Even when he feels “a little off”, Stolz seems to be unbeatable at the moment. After Friday’s 500m title, he added 1000m gold on Saturday, finishing his race in another track record time of 1:06.05 — even without the same power he’d felt a day earlier.
“I was tired or something. Obviously the 500 was going all out yesterday so the nervous system might be a little tired.”
Jordan Stolz won 1000m gold on Saturday and will try to add a third title in the 1500m race on Sunday in Calgary @ISU
With two titles already in his pocket, Stolz hopes to defend his 1500m title to claim a second consecutive triple crown. Sunday’s race will be the toughest, he said.
“I think it's going to be a close race between me and (Kjeld Nuis (NED)). I’m a little tired, but it should be alright for tomorrow. I have a little bit of bite in the legs and I feel like that's an okay thing to have for the 1500m. If I could get three again, that would be amazing.”
By finishing second to Stolz in 1:06.53, 24-year-old Ning Zhongyan (CHN) claimed his first individual medal at a World Single Distances Championships.
“It’s a personal best, so it’s the best result I could have had. I had a good 200m, the first lap was good, maybe the last lap could have been a little better, but even if I had had a better final lap I wouldn’t have won. Jordan is so amazing. Maybe next year, maybe the Olympic year, I really focus on that. I think I can get there (to Stolz’s level) with good training.”
Ning Zhongyan won his first individual World title, taking silver in the 1000m race on Saturday in Calgary @ISU
Nuis was not confident going into the World Championships, having just recovered from a crash on his head at the World Cup in Salt Lake City three weeks ago. But the Olympic 1500m champion was able to find some unexpected power to take bronze in 1:06.80. Where did it come from?
“I haven’t got the slightest idea. Seriously, it’s not a miracle, because in that case I would have won, but the way I skated my first 200m in 16.30, that’s faster than my best opener ever six years ago in PyeongChang (when he won the Olympic 1000m title). I thought I’d never be able to do that anymore, so to do it at these championships is wild."
Kjeld Nuis celebrates a surprise 1000m podium finish at the World Single Distances Championships in Calgary on Saturday @ISU
Nuis was happy with almost his entire race.
“My first 400m were perfect, but then I tried to take the inner corner wide to be able to accelerate, but I didn’t manage to get back to the blocks and I panicked a bit, so I didn’t pull through. It’s like a car that doesn’t accelerate from the corner, you lose speed and that’s where I lose a lot on Jordan. But I kept my composure and then I managed to skate such a great final lap. Jordan is in a league of his own, but it could have been silver today and that would have been silver with a golden edge. I’m really proud of this race.”
Program
Thursday 15 February:
3000m Women
5000m Men
Team Sprint Women
Team Sprint Men
Friday 16 February:
Team Pursuit Women
Team Pursuit Men
500m Women
500m Men
Saturday 17 February
1000m Women
1000m Men
Mass Start Women Final
Mass Start Men Final
Sunday 18 February
5000m Women
10000m Men
1500m Women
1500m Men
