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Antoinette de Jong (NED) has ended the eleven-year reign of Martina Sáblíková (CZE) in the ladies’ long distance World Cup winning the day’s race and the classification at the final in Minsk on Saturday. Karolina Erbanova (CZE) won the 500m, and Marrit Leenstra (NED) took gold in the 1000m, with Miho Takagi (JPN) coming fourth to take an unassailable lead in the Grand World Cup standings.

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Antoinette de Jong (NED)

De Jong concludes in style
In absence of the injury plagued Sáblíková, Antoinette de Jong beat World Cup leader Ivanie Blondin (CAN), and Natalia Voronina (RUS), who also was ahead of her in the rankings before the final 3000m race. De Jong finished in 4:08.85, with Marina Zueva (BLR) coming second in 4:11.63 and Blondin third in 4:11.77. It left Blondin six points short of De Jong for the overall win in the long distance World Cup.

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Karolina Erbanova (CZE)

Erbanova closes in on absent Kodaira
Erbanova took pole position to win the 500m World Cup, with a close win over Vanessa Herzog (AUT) on Saturday. The Czech European Sprint Champion skated 38.28, to finish 0.01 ahead of het Austrian rival. Russian Angelina Golikova came third in 38.40. Erbanova collected 696 World Cup points, just four shy of Nao Kodaira, but he Japanese Olympic Champion, who is unbeaten in this season’s 500m, did not travel to Minsk due to illness. There’s one more race to go on Sunday.

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Hege Bokko of Norway, Marrit Leenstra of the Netherlands and Yekaterina Shikhova of Russia stand on the podium after the Ladies 1000m Final

Leenstra wins race, Shikhova World Cup
Marrit Leenstra (NED) took her career second 1000m World Cup win, finishing in 1:15.82. Norway’s Hege Bøkko came second in 1:16.03 and Yekaterina Shikhova secured the season’s 1000m World Cup coming third in 1:16.73. Miho Takagi came fourth in 1:16.82 and collected enough points to secure the Grand World Cup victory.

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Japanase Team Pursuit

Japanese ladies confirm dominance in Team Pursuit
Takagi also celebrated the third consecutive Japanese season’s World Cup win in the ladies’ Team Pursuit. The Olympic Champions, who broke the Team Pursuit world record three times this season, won the event confidently in 3:00.18, with a 5.03 lead over the Netherlands, who finished second. Germany came third in 3:08.56. Germany came second in the season’s World Cup and the Netherlands third.