Kim Min Sun (KOR) went back to her old boots to rediscover winning ways at the ISU World Cup in Stavanger on Sunday. Last year’s 500m World Cup winner seized her first gold of this season, beating current World Cup leader Erin Jackson (USA) in the sprint.
Martina Sáblíková (CZE) took her first World Cup gold in over three years in the 5000m after Irene Schouten (NED) had set a track record time in the B Division, and the USA finished off the Stavanger World Cup with gold in the women’s Team Sprint.
Old boots give Kim the edge over Jackson
Having won the two 500m races at the World Cup in Beijing two weeks ago, Jackson skated a solid race in Stavanger too. The Olympic champion clocked an unmatched opener of 10.42s, and finished her race in 37.75s.
Femke Kok (NED) had already skated 38.01s in the seventh of 10 pairings, and Jackson, in the eighth pair, was the first skater to break the 38-second barrier.
Kim, in the penultimate pair, was the only one to go even faster than Jackson. The 24-year-old Korean did not get out of the blocks as quickly as the American, but she managed to set the fastest lap in 27.1s to complete her race in 37.73s.
Kim Min Sun (KOR) switched back to her old skates and duly won her first World Cup gold of the season in the 500m © ISU
After experimenting with new boots at the first two World Cups of the season, Kim had decided to switch back to her old pair of skates.
“Maybe next season I’ll try new boots again, but this works well for now,” she said.
With a winning margin of just 0.02s, there’s not much room for error. Kim is still trying to improve her skating and she knows where she can make gains.
“Jackson opened in 10.4s, so I think I have to improve my start,” she said.
Despite coming second, Jackson had enjoyed the battle.
“Such small margins, that’s the excitement of the 500m when everyone’s supergood. Of course I’d like to win, but Kim is just an amazing athlete.”
Erin Jackson (USA, left) took silver just 0.02s behind Kim, with World Champion Femke Kok (NED, right) taking bronze © ISU
Where the margin between Kim’s gold and Jackson’s silver had been small, bronze medal winner Kok was 0.28s adrift. The Dutch World Champion suffered from a fever in Beijing, but she believes she can be back in the 500m mix at the next World Cup event.
“This was a bit of a sloppy race. Thus far I’ve made tiny mistakes in every World Cup race. After being ill in Beijing, we went to Spain, so I haven’t been on the ice much. I feel that my coordination in skating is not superb yet, but the speed is there, so I’m happy with that. There’s enough room for improvement.”
Sáblíková wins first gold in over three years
Before she took the ice in Stavanger on Sunday, Martina Sáblíková (CZE) hadn’t won World Cup gold since victory in the 3000m in Calgary on 8th February 2020. The 36-year-old Czech champion couldn’t even remember the date herself, but she still knows how to skate real fast.
With a time of 6 minutes and 59.60s, Sáblíková was the only skater in the women’s A Division to complete her race under 7 minutes. Marijke Groenewoud (NED) took silver in 7:03.27, and Ragne Wiklund (NOR) seized bronze in 7:03.60.
Martina Sáblíková (CZE) occupied the top step of a World Cup podium for the first time in 45 months with her 5000m victory © ISU
Earlier on Sunday, Irene Schouten (NED) had stopped the clock in 6:50.64 to break her own 2021 track record by more than two seconds. The Dutch Olympic champion got relegated to the B Division in the long distances after a disappointing display in Beijing two weeks ago.
“I couldn’t win in the A Division, so I had to set another goal,” Schouten said. She had set her sights on the track record, but before the race, she and her coaches were not so sure if it would be feasible on Sunday.
“They told me just to see how I felt during the race, and that turned out well,” she said.
Irene Schouten (NED) made up for relegation to the B Division by breaking her own 5000m Stavanger track record © ISU
Sáblíková had enjoyed watching Schouten.
“I don’t know how she can skate so fast. I’m happy for her, that she’s back after that jetlag in China.”
After her 5000m victory, Sáblíková sits just 13 points short of World Cup leader Wiklund. Would she be able to win the long-distance ranking?
“I don’t think so,” the Czech veteran responded. “This was the only 5000m and the other girls are better in the 3000m than I am, so my goal this season is just to enjoy my skating.”
USA takes Team Sprint gold
Erin Jackson, Sarah Warren and Kimi Goetz (USA) concluded the Stavanger World Cup with gold in the Team Sprint on Sunday, finishing in a time of 1 minute and 27.92s. The Netherlands (Marrit Fledderus, Femke Kok and Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong) retained the World Cup lead with silver in 1:28.17, and Canada (Carolina Hiller, Maddison Pearman and Ivanie Blondin) finished third in 1:28.34.
Erin Jackson, Sarah Warren and Kimi Goetz (USA) took Team Sprint gold ahead of Netherlands and Canada © ISU
Jackson had enjoyed the race.
“It's nice just because it's kind of a team vibe, being able to achieve something with your teammates and your friends. I love doing the Team Sprint and this was a much better result for us than last month [when the American women were disqualified].”
Where a lot of male teams were experimenting with the slingshot change-up on Sunday, the US women did not try the new technique.
“We're not as adventurous as they are,” Jackson said with a smile. “But maybe we'll work on it in the future.”
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Where to watch
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ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series events 2023/24:
Nov 10 - 12, 2023 Obihiro /JPN
Nov 17 - 19, 2023 Beijing /CHN
Dec 01 - 03, 2023 Stavanger /NOR
Dec 08 - 10, 2023 Tomaszów Mazowiecki /POL
Jan 26 - 28, 2024 Salt Lake City /USA
Feb 02 - 04, 2024 Québec /CAN
About ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series
The ISU World Cup Speed Skating is a Series of Speed Skating competitions which have taken place annually since 1984. The series comprises six events (four during an Olympic season), with A Division and B Division races. Skaters can earn points at each competition, and the Skater with the most points on a given distance at the end of the series is the World Cup winner in that distance. The four World Cup Competitions held from November to December serve as qualifying events for entry quotas at the ISU European Championships, and the ISU Four Continents Championships. The whole series of six events serves as qualifying events for the World Single Distances Championships, and/or the World Sprint and Allround Speed Skating Championships.
World Cup titles are awarded in 500m, 1000m, 1500m, combined 5000m/10,000m, and Mass Start for men, and 500m, 1000m, 1500m, the combined 3000m/5000m, and Mass Start for women. Both genders also compete for the World Cup titles in Team Pursuit and Team Sprint. New in the 2023/24 program is the Mixed Gender Relay over six laps, in which teams of one man and one woman compete.
(For full explanation of this season’s ISU World Cup (entry rules, formats, qualifying, and prizes: https://www.isu.org/speed-skating/rules/ssk-communications/31562-isu-communication-2587/file)
