ISU

 #SpeedSkating

Tim Prins (NED) competes during the Junior World Cup Speed Skating @ISU

Tim Prins (NED) was in a league of his own at the second ISU Junior World Cup event in Seinäjoki (FIN) last weekend. Prins spearheaded the unstoppable Dutch, who won ten out of twelve disciplines in the Junior ranks, but he crashed in the Team Pursuit. Norway led the medal table in the Neo-Senior ranks with three gold medals. Spain also won three golds, but Norway also collected 5 silvers and 5 bronzes, while the Spanish only added one bronze.

Absent Japanese leave floor to Prins

At the first World Cup in Seinäjoki one week ago, Prins had to settle for two silvers and a bronze behind Japanese Issa Gunji and Kotaro Kasahara. The first mentioned won the 500m and the 1000m, while the latter seized gold in the 1500m.

Tim Prins (NED) poses during the Junior World Cup Speed Skating @ISU

The Japanese team did not compete in the second World Cup weekend. Yet, Prins won the 500m, the 1000m, the 1500m and the Mass Start. He wanted to add another gold in the Team Pursuit, but he crashed. The Dutch did not finish the race and left the podium to Norway (gold), Poland (silver) and Germany (bronze).

With gold in the 3000m, Stijn van de Bunt (NED) made sure all individual medals in the Men’s Junior category went to the Netherlands.

Stijn van de Bunt (NED) poses during the Junior World Cup Speed Skating @ISU

Prins leads the World Cup ranking in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m. Van de Bunt is first in the 3000m ranking, while Cong Zhenlong (CHN) goes on top in the Mass Start ranking after a seventh place at the first World Cup and a silver medal at the second.

Chung (KOR) keeps Dutch from sweep

At the second World Cup weekend, Jade Groenewoud (NED) repeated her 1500m and 3000m golds from the week before in the girls category, while Pien Hersman (500m), Chloé Hoogendoorn (3000m) and the Team Pursuit girls added three more Dutch golds.

Hyunseo Chung (KOR) competes during the ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating in Seinajoki (FIN) @ISU

Hyunseo Chung (KOR) was the only non-Dutch girl to top the podium in the Junior ranks, winning the 1000m.

Back-to-back golds for Tvetter (NOR) and Llop (ESP)

Kasper Tveter (NOR) again was the big man in the Neo-Senior category, winning back-to-back golds in the 1500m and the 3000m. The Norwegian added a 1000m silver and a Mass Start bronze to his collection.

John Granli (NOR), Kasper Tveter (NOR) and Botond Bejczi (HUN) pose during the ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating @ISU

Spain’s Nil Llop Izquierdo won back-to-back golds in the 500m and 1000m, while Germain Deschamps (FRA) won the Mass Start and the Czech Republic took home Team Pursuit gold.

Nil Llop Izquierdo competes during the ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating @ISU

In the Women’s No-Senior category, Anna Ostlender (GER) was a bit less dominant than the previous week, but she still bagged gold in the 1000m, and silver in both the 500m and the Mass Start.

China won two golds in the Women’s Neo-Senior ranks, winning the Team Pursuit and the 1500m with Wenjing Jin. Norway’s Hanna Svenni won the 3000m and Mass Start gold went to Ainoa Carreño from Spain.

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.