The second day of the 2014 ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championship saw different winners in the individual events, while the overall leaders remain the same.
Defending ladies’ champion Arianna Fontana of Italy climbed up the overall rankings with a win in the 500 metres. This is her speciality event and today she showed why, leading the final race from start to finish. Russian skater Tatiana Borodulina was a very close second, managing to hold off the overall leader Jorien Ter Mors (NED). Ter Mors’ third place finish gives her an eight point lead over Fontana heading into the last day of competition on Sunday. Tied for third place, with 21 points each, are Borodulina and Bernadett Heidum (HUN).
Martina Valcepina (ITA) finished fourth in the 500m, while for the second day in a row Dutch skater Yara Van Kerkhof was given a penalty in the final. Despite qualifying for two finals, she has earned no final points in those distances.
In the men’s 500m the winner was yet another Russian skater but this time it was Victor An, who managed to edge out Sjinkie Knegt of the Netherlands. Vladimir Grigorev (RUS) was the third place finisher, ahead of Sebastien Lepape (FRA).
Semen Elistratov, who was the overall leader after Day 1, did not qualify for the final and finished fifth over the distance. He remains at the top of the leaderboard, tied with his team-mate An, both with 34 points. Close together in third and fourth are Dutch pair Sjinkie Knegt (23 points) and Niels Kerstholt (21 points).
With two individual events left on the final day there are several championship contenders in both the ladies and men’s competitions.
In the relay events, the following countries advanced to tomorrow’s finals:
Ladies: Netherlands, Hungary, Great Britain, Russia and Italy
Men: Netherlands, Germany, Russia and Italy
Day 3 of racing will resume on Sunday with the 1,000m and 3,000m individual events.