Seinäjoki, Finland

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 #SpeedSkating

Jade Groenewoud ISU 1245164784

Jade Groenewoud (NED) competes in the 1500m Women Junior event and wins the gold medal during the 2022 ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating in Seinajoki, Finland. © ISU

At the Jääurheilukeskus outdoor Speed Skating track in Finland, the future stars of Speed Skating took to the ice at the first of three Junior World Cup events of this season. Jade Groenewoud (NED), Alina Dauranova (KAZ) and Issa Gunji (JPN) were the most decorated Skaters with two gold medals each in the Junior category, while Anna Ostlender (GER), Kasper Tveter (NOR) and Nil Llop Izquierdo (ESP) seized two victories each in the Neo-Senior category.

Japanese Sprint tradition

Issa Gunji (JPN) is the youngest agent in the long tradition of Japanese sprinting. The Japanese prodigy won the 1000m on Saturday and 500m in the boys’ competition on Sunday in Seinäjoki (FIN). Kazak Alina Dauranova did the same in the girls’ competition.

Issa Gunji  ISU 1245152879

Issa Gunji (JPN) competes in the 500m Men Junior event during the 2022 ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating in Seinajoki, Finland. © ISU

Jade Groenewoud, who took three gold medals at last season’s Junior World Championships, won the girls 3000m on Saturday, adding gold in the 1500m and silver in the Mass Start on Sunday. Chloé Hoogendoorn (NED) won the Mass Start after the two Dutch girls had escaped from the pack, to carry their breakaway all the way to the finish line. Soo-Min Kang (KOR) won the bunch sprint to take bronze.

Chloé Hoogendoorn ISU 1245163439

Chloé Hoogendoorn (NED) (left) and Jade Groenewoud (NED) (right) compete in the Mass Start Final Women Junior event during the 2022 ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating in Seinajoki, Finland.© ISU

Shomu Sasaki (JPN) won the Men’s Mass Start event. He escaped from the pack together with compatriot Kotaro Kasahara, who eventually got caught by Stijn Van De Bunt (NED) before the line. Kasahara took silver and Van de Bunt bronze.

Spain won the Junior Mixed Relay with Alexander Rezzonico and Luisa Maria González. Austria and Poland took silver and bronze.

German women reign supreme

The German women, and in particular Anna Ostlender dominated the Neo-Senior category. Ostlender won the 1000m on Saturday and the Mass Start on Sunday, adding a silver medal in the 500m to her weekend total. Both the Women’s 1000m (Ostlander, Josephine Heimerl and Sophie Warmuth) and the 500m (Warmuth, Ostlander, Heimerl) had an all-German podium.

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Anna Ostlender (GER) (left), Sophie Warmuth (GER) (middle) and Josephine Heimerl (GER) (right) pose after competing in the 500m Women Neo-Senior event during the 2022 ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating in Seinajoki, Finland.© ISU

Czech Zuzana Kuršová won the Women’s 3000m on Saturday, adding silver in Sunday’s 1500m, behind Jin Wenjing from China.

Veronika Antošová (CZE) took bronze in the 1500m and seized a gold medal together with Prokop Stodola in the Mixed Relay. Hungary and Germany took silver and bronze.

In the Men’s category, Kasper Tveter (NOR) won silver in the 1000m and gold in the 3000m on Saturday, adding another gold in the 1500m on Sunday. Nil Llop Izquierdo (ESP), who shifted from the Junior ranks to the Neo-Seniors this season, won the Men’s 1000m on Saturday and the 500m on Sunday.

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Kasper Tveter (NOR) (left), Nil Llop Izquierdo (ESP) (middle) and Erik Resel (NOR) (right) pose after recieving their medals for competing in the 1000m Men Neo-Senior event during the 2022 ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating in Seinajoki, Finland.© ISU

The Men’s Mass Start was dominated by French Mathieu Belloir and Germain Deschamps, who won gold and silver ahead of bronze medalist Chuanyi Sun (CHN).

Age groups and eligibility

Participation in the Junior World Cup is open to Junior A and Junior B Skaters, born between July 1, 2002 and June 30, 2006 as per ISU Rule 108, and to Junior C Skaters born between July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2007.

Participation in the Neo-Seniors division is open to Skaters born between July 1, 1998 and June 30, 2002.