Short Track Speed Skating
With 14 individual medals and both relay titles, Korea dominated the 2010 ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The women of this sport are tough competitors. Against a myriad of other title-holders, Suing-Hi Park stole the show with her wins in the 1500, 3000 Super Final, and overall. Ha-Ri Cho joined her teammate by stepping into the number 3 spot on the overall podium. Cho raced to a finish of 2nd in the 1000 and 3000SF, and 3rd in the 1500. The silent powerhouse from China Meng Wang took the overall silver medal here, with wins in the 500 and 1000 meter short track speed skating races.
The men’s podium showed the same country colors as the women. Ho-Suk Lee, winner of the 1000 and 3000, and third place finisher in the 1500 here, placed atop the leader board. Yoon-Guy Kwak, also from Korea, was 2nd overall, after he crossed the finish line 1st in the 1500 and 2nd in the 3000m. Chinese skater Wenhao Liang rounded out the podium with the bronze medal overall win after he won the 500 meter race.
Canada put in a good show with a 2nd place finish behind Korea in the women’s relay, in addition to four individual medals in the 500. (2nd place went to Kalyna Roberge and Francois Hamelin. 3rd place finishes were had by Marianne St. Gelais and Francois-Louis Tremblay.)
The United States had two 3rd place individual finishers in the 1000m, Katherine Reutter and JR Celski. Celski also won 3rd in the 3000m. USA women’s relay team brought home the bronze, while the men’s team brought home the silver medal.
Germany won the men’s relay bronze medal.
The World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships take place this weekend (March 26-28, 2010) in Italy.
Long Track Speed Skating
Repeating last year’s wins at the Essent ISU World All-Around Speed Skating Championships, Martina Sablikova and Sven Kramer topped their podiums this year.
For Kramer, this win puts him in the history books as the first man to win four of these titles in a row.
There were 10 personal best times posted during this competition.
For the ladies, Sablikova took the all-around with wins in the 3000 and 5000 meter races. Canada’s Kristina Groves placed 2nd overall, after winning the 1500m. 3rd Place in the All-Around went to Ireen Wust of the Netherlands. Wust came in 2nd in the 1500 and 3000.
The men’s competition wrapped up with Kramer dominating the 5000, 10,000, and the All-Around. USA’s Jonathan Kuck came in 2nd overall after placing 3rd in the 500 and winning the 1500. Norway’s Havard Bokko took the 3rd place All-Around medal spot after placing 2nd in the 5000 and 10,000 meter long track speed skating races.
This competition comes just one week after the conclusion of the World Cup Speed Skating Final, also held in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
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