The 2008-09 Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track season concluded this weekend at the Freiberg Arena, in Dresden, Germany. For the second consecutive weekend, no single country dominated the medal count. The United States leave Dresden with 7 medals, with Korea and Italy both tied with 6 medals each. China earned 3 medals while Australia took 2 medals. The other teams to leave Dresden with one medal were Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan.
This weekend’s Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track schedule had the athletes compete in the 500 meters distance twice. In the ladies 500 meters, Tatiana Borodulina of Australia dominated the weekend, by taking the win in both events. In the first of the events, the podium was completed by Tian Yu Fu (China) in second place and Arianna Fontana (Italy) in third place. In the second event, Fontana moved up a rank, by taking second place, with Evgenia Radanova (Bulgaria) taking third. Despite her absence this weekend, China’s Meng Wang managed to maintain her lead in the World Cup distance classification, and earning the distance title for the season.
In the men’s 500 meters event, the first event was dominated by Korean skaters, with Ho-Suk Lee finishing first and Yoon-Gi Kwak taking second. Nicola Rodigari of Italy took third place. In the second 500 meters event, Anthony Lobello of the United States took the win, ahead of Jon Eley (Great Britain) who earned a second place in the distance for the second consecutive weekend. Satoshi Sakashita of Japan took third. Francois-Louis Tremblay of Canada takes the title in the 500 meters World Cup distance classification.
In the ladies 1000 meters event, the American skaters had a great weekend, earning the top two podium places. Kimberly Derrick finished first ahead of her teammate Katherine Reutter. Third place finish went to Eun-Ju Jung of Korea. The 1000 meters World Cup distance classification title goes to Meng Wang of China, earning her a second title World Cup distance classification title of the season. On the men’s side, Ho-Suk Lee of Korea took the win in the 1000 meters event, allowing him to clinch the World Cup distance classification title. Second place finish went to J.R. Celski (USA), and third place finish going to Yuri Confortola of Italy.
In ladies 1500m, Min-Jung Kim (Korea) took the win ahead of American skater Katherine Reutter. This was Reutter’s back to back second place finish in the distance. Third place finish went to Hui Zhang of China. Yang Zhou of China clinches the World Cup distance classification title for the 1500 meters. On the men’s side, American skater J.R. Celski earned a second podium finish of the weekend, by taking the win. Yuri Confortola (Italy) continued on his strong weekend, by taking second place, ahead of Rémi Beaulieu-Tinker of Canada. Si-Bak Sung earned the World Cup distance classification title in the 1500 meters.
The weekend concluded with the relay events, and as always, both events were filled with great racing and excitement. The ladies event saw the team from the United States taking the win ahead of Italy. There was no third place finishers as both Korea and Hungary were disqualified. In the men’s 5000 meters relay event, China dominated the event meanwhile there was a 3-way battle for second and third place. Korea managed to take second place, with Germany earning third place for a second consecutive weekend. At the end of six rounds of the Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track season, China takes the ladies relay World Cup distance classification title, while Canada takes the men’s relay title.
With the 2008-09 Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track season now concluded, the world’s best short track speed skaters will return to action for the 2009 ISU World Championships in Austria, on March 6-9.
Samsung ISU World Cup Short Track – Dresden (GER)
Top 3 Results by Category
Ladies 500m Day 1
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
BORODULINA, Tatiana |
AUS |
|
2 |
FU, Tian Yu |
CHN |
|
3 |
FONTANA, Arianna |
ITA |
Men 500m Day 1
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
LEE, Ho-Suk |
KOR |
|
2 |
KWAK, Yoon-Gi |
KOR |
|
3 |
RODIGARI, Nicola |
ITA |
Ladies 500m Day 2
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
BORODULINA, Tatiana |
AUS |
|
2 |
FONTANA, Arianna |
ITA |
|
3 |
RADANOVA, Evgenia |
BUL |
Men 500m Day 2
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
LOBELLO, Anthony |
USA |
|
2 |
ELEY, Jon |
GBR |
|
3 |
SAKASHITA, Satoshi |
JPN |
Ladies 1000m
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
DERRICK, Kimberly |
USA |
|
2 |
REUTTER, Katherine |
USA |
|
3 |
JUNG, Eun-Ju |
KOR |
Men 1000m
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
LEE, Ho-Suk |
KOR |
|
2 |
CELSKI, J.R. |
USA |
|
3 |
CONFORTOLA, Yuri |
ITA |
Ladies 1500m
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
KIM, Min-Jung |
KOR |
|
2 |
REUTTER, Katherine |
USA |
|
3 |
ZHANG, Hui |
CHN |
Men 1500m
|
|
Name of athlete |
Nation |
|
1 |
CELSKI, J.R. |
USA |
|
2 |
CONFORTOLA, Yuri |
ITA |
|
3 |
BEAULIEU-TINKER, Remi |
CAN |
Ladies Relay
|
|
Nation |
|
1 |
UNITED STATES |
|
2 |
ITALY |
Men Relay
|
|
Nation |
|
1 |
CHINA |
|
2 |
KOREA |
|
3 |
GERMANY |
For further information, including complete results, see www.isu.org
