This year’s ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships was held in Dresden, Germany. Europe’s best short track speed skaters, representing 23 countries, were on hand for this 3-day event.  For many of the skaters, this was their last opportunity to meet their country requirements for an Olympic berth.

Katerina Novotna of the Czech Republic was crowned the ladies European Short Track Speed Skating Champion, while Italian skater Nicola Rodigari earned his second consecutive European Championship title. Novotna won the overall title by a mere two points, edging out the reigning European Champion Arianna Fontana of Italy. Third place overall went to British skater Elise Christie. On the men’s side, Rodigari was more dominant, clinching the title before the last race of the weekend. Two French skaters joined him on the overall podium: Thibaut Fauconnet (second) and Maxime Chataignier (third).

This weekend’s ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships schedule had the athletes compete in the 500, 1000, 1500 meters distances, with the top points earners after three events, competing in a 3000m Super Final.  The championships closed with the relay events.  

The weekend began with the 1500 meters events. In the ladies competition, Arianna Fontana took the win, finishing ahead of Leslie Christie (Great Britain), and Bulgarian skater Evgenia Radanova. On the men’s side, Nicola Rodigari began his quest for a second overall title with a win in the 1500 meters. He finished ahead of Thibaut Fauconnet, while third place went to Niels Kerstholt of the Netherlands.

In the ladies 500 meters event, Arianna Fontana took her second win of the weekend, and looked set to repeat as the overall European champion. Katerina Novotna managed to finish second, to score her first championship points of the weekend. Erika Huszar of Hungary finished third. In the men’s 500 meters event, Maxime Chataignier took the win, ahead of Jon Eley of Great Britain. Despite getting knocked out of contention in the race, Nicola Rodigari managed to finish third.  

The ladies 1000 meters event was won by Katerina Novotna, which provided her valuable points entering the last individual event of the weekend, the 3000 meters Super Final. Bernadett Heidum of Hungary finished second ahead of Veronique Pierron of France. On the men’s side, Nicola Rodigari took his second win of the weekend. French skater Thibaut Fauconnet finished second, while Dutch skater Niels Kertsholt was third.    

With the men’s championship already clinched, the stage was set in the ladies 3000m Super Final to determine the overall champion. Katerina Novotna definitely had her best day of the weekend on Sunday as she took her second win of the day in the Super Final. Second place went to Elise Christie, while Arianna Fontana, despite winning the bonus point in the race, could only manage a third place finish. In the men’s event, the win went to Thibaut Fauconnet, which consolidated his second place overall ranking. Nicola Rodigari completed his dominant weekend by earning a second place finish ahead of his teammate Yuri Confortola.  

The weekend’s racing concluded with relay events. In the ladies 3000 meters Relay event, first place went to Germany to the delight of the local crowd. Second place finish went to Russia while the team from the Netherlands finished third. In the men’s 5000 meters Relay event, Italy edged out the fan favorite Germany, while third place finish went to Great Britain.   

Europe’s best short track speed skaters will join the rest of the world in Vancouver in just a few weeks, for the Olympic Winter Games 2010. The ISU Short Track Speed Skating season will then resume in Sofia, Bulgaria for the 2010 ISU World Championships on March 19-21, 2010.

ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships – Dresden (GER)

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