ISU

German gold and silver for Nico Ihle and Samuel Schwarz in the Men’s 1000m was the highlight of the second day of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating races in Berlin on Saturday. In the Ladies’ 1000m Brittany Bowe and Heather Richardson topped the podium for the USA. Dutchmen Jorrit Bergsma and Douwe de Vries sandwiched Norwegian Sverre Lunde Pedersen on the 5000m podium and the Dutch ladies continued their winning streak in the Team Pursuit, followed by the strong Polish team. On Saturday 8 skaters improved their personal best times, which adds up to 22 personal bests for the weekend.

It was a historic Friday for Polish skating in Berlin. After Artur Was (POL) grabbed his career first World Cup victory in the Men’s 500m, his compatriots Zbigniew Bródka, Jan Szymanski and Konrad Niedzwiedzki clinched the first Polish World Cup gold in the Men’s Team Pursuit to wrap up the first day of the third leg in the ISU World Cup Speed Skating series 2014/15. World Cup leader Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) crashed in the final pair of the 500m. Ireen Wüst (NED) won the 3.000m for Ladies and Sang-Hwa Lee (KOR) took her fourth World Cup win of the season in the Ladies’ 500m.

With Chinese, Russian, Czech and Italian victories, there was nothing to be seen of last season’s Dutch dominance on the final day of the second leg of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating series in Seoul. The Korean World Cup weekend finished with the Ladies’ 1000m, the men’s second 500m, and the Mass Start for both men and Ladies. In total eight different nationalities topped the podiums.

Sang-Hwa Lee (KOR) took revenge, Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) kept winning and Marrit Leenstra (NED) beat fellow-Dutch Ireen Wüst. Leg two of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating series 2014/15 in Seoul (KOR) continued with the Men’s 10,000m, the Ladies’ second 500m, the Men’s 1000m and the Ladies’ 1500m on Saturday. In all distances except for the 500m, the Track Record was broken and two skaters set personal best times. Experience proved to be the key in the longest distance, in which 38-year-old Bob de Jong (NED) won with daylight between him and his opponents.

The second leg of ISU World Cup Speed Skating series 2014/15 started in Seoul (KOR). 42-year-old Claudia Pechtstein (GER) won the Ladies’ 5000m, Noa Kodaira (JPN) beat Sang-Hwa Lee (KOR) in the ladies’ 500m, Sverre Lunde Pedersen (NOR) took his first World Cup win in the 1500m and Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) blasted to another 500m win.

The ISU World Cup Speed Skating series continued with the 1500m, the second 500m and the Mass Start for both Ladies and Men on Sunday. Both 1500m and 500m races were won in track record times and five skaters improved their personal best, bringing this weekend’s total to 17. Vanessa Bittner even set a new national record for Austria in the 500m: 38.33.

Debutant Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) is the sprinting revelation of this season’s first ISU World Cup Speed Skating weekend in Obihiro. After his impressive silver medal in the first 500m on Friday, the 20-year-old Russian clinched the gold medal in the 1000m on Saturday. In the Ladies’ event Marrit Leenstra (NED) took her first career 1000m World Cup win. Both the Men’s and the Ladies’ Team Pursuit events were dominated by the Dutch, with the Japanese Ladies taking silver on home soil.

The ISU World Cup Speed Skating series 2014/15 took off with the Men’s 5000m, the 500m for Ladies and Men and the Ladies’ 3000m in Obihiro (JPN) on Friday. In both long distances the track record was broken a few times and a total of six skaters set a personal best. The record for the oldest World Cup participant was broken by Martin Hänggi (SUI). The 46-year-old skated in the 5000m in the B-division.

The Speed Skating season starts on November 14 with the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series. The first of seven World Cup events takes place in Obihiro (JPN) on November 14 to 16

The Essent ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships will take place this weekend in the Thialf Stadium in Heerenveen (NED).

The Essent ISU World Cup Final concluded at the Thialf Stadion, Heerenveen on Sunday with American skaters Heather Richardson and Shani Davis winning the Ladies and Men’s Grand World Cup titles.

The second day of the Essent ISU World Cup Final at the Thialf Stadion in Heerenveen saw a new face on top of the World Cup podium in Annouk van der Weijden (NED)

Ireen Wüst (NED) and Koen Verweij (NED) are leading after the first day of the Essent ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships.

Ireen Wüst (NED) and Koen Verweij (NED) were crowned as the queen and king of a party, officially called the Essent ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships.

Ireen Wüst (NED) and Shani Davis (USA) won the World Cups for the Ladies 1500m and the Men’s 1000m respectively on the first day of the Essent ISU World Cup Final at the Thialf Stadion in Heerenveen on Friday.