The ISU Four Continents Championships are the latest addition to the international Speed Skating calendar. At the first three editions in Milwaukee (2019), Calgary (2022) and Quebec (2023) many top Skaters from outside Europe decided to skip the tournament, but the fourth edition is held on the fastest ice on earth in Salt Lake City and everyone is eager to start. Will the USA be able to reconquer the world Team Pursuit record after the Norwegian men set a new mark at the European Championships in Heerenveen two weeks ago?
Jordan Stolz (USA) is one of the stars hoping to shine on home ice at the Four Continents in Salt Lake City @ISU
Fastest ice on earth
Speed Skaters always look forward to competing at the Utah Olympic Oval. The venue prides itself on providing the fastest ice on earth. With four out of five world records in the men’s classical distances and five out of five in the women’s, this claim can hardly be disputed. Situated at an altitude of 1,425m, the Skaters face much less air resistance than at sea-level rinks. With the Four Continents Championships this weekend, and this season’s fourth World Cup event next weekend, Skaters from outside Europe will have two consecutive opportunities to take advantage.
Men's 500m World Cup leader Wataru Morishige is aiming to take advantage of the fast ice in Salt Lake City, USA @ISU
Team Pursuit world record
Despite the sea-level air resistance in Heerenveen, Norway’s Sander Eitrem, Peder Kongshaug and Sverre Lunde Pedersen (NOR) managed to break the Team Pursuit world record with a time of 3:34.22 at the European Championships two weeks ago. The previous mark was set by Joey Mantia, Emery Lehman and Casey Dawson (USA) on 5 December 2021 in Salt Lake City.
Norway set a new men's Team Pursuit world record at the 2024 European Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands @ISU
Mantia has since retired from speed skating but Ethan Cepuran will join Lehman and Dawson to try and take the record back on the fast Utah surface. Norway will not be present at the Four Continents Championships, but they’ll get another shot at the World Cup a week later.
The USA will be aiming to take back the men's Team Pursuit world record in Salt Lake City, USA @ISU
History
The fourth edition of the Four Continents Championships features 96 Skaters from eight different countries. Canada and the United States have the biggest teams, both with twenty Skaters. Argentina (Victoria Rodriguez) and Chinese Taipei (Tai Wei-Lin) only field one Skater. Both Rodriguez and Tai won a medal at previous Four Continents Championships. The Argentine took 500m bronze and Tai 1000m bronze in Calgary (2022).
Argentina's Victoria Rodriguez won 500m bronze at the 2022 Four Continents in Calgary, Canada @ISU
With 22 gold medals (17 silver and 13 bronze) Canada lead the Four Continents Championships medal table. The USA (18G, 6S, 9B) are second and South Korea (15G, 21S, 9B) third. Coming sixth, Speed Skating powerhouse Japan (1G, 3S, 2B) is exceptionally low on the all-time medal table, mainly because Japan has never fielded its strongest Skaters at the event. In Salt Lake City Japan are likely to do better, fielding among others World Cup leaders Wataru Morishige (JPN) and Miho Takagi (JPN).
Women's World Cup leader Miho Takagi is one of the favorites at the 2023 Four Continents @ISU
Sprint festival
Whereas the long distances are traditionally dominated by European Speed Skating nations, Skaters from the other continents tend to excel in the sprint events. In the men’s 500m for example, the fastest European Skater would only come seventh. The Four Continents Championships will feature a blistering sprint with Japan’s World Cup leader Wataru Morishige, Yuma Murakami (3) and Tatsuya Shinhama (4) facing Canadian Laurent Dubreuil (2), Korean Kim Jun-Ho (5), and American World Champion Jordan Stolz (13). Unfortunately, sixth-ranked Olympic Champion Gao Tingyu (CHN) will not be present at the Four Continents Championships.
Sprint star Laurent Dubreuil of Canada is targeting more success in Salt Lake City, USA @ISU
In the women’s field World Cup leader Erin Jackson (USA) and number three Kimi Goetz (USA), will face the current World Cup runner-up Kim Min Sun (KOR).
ISU Four Continents Championships Program
The ISU Four Continents tournament starts with the Team Sprint followed by the 1500m for both genders on Friday. The Saturday program features the 500m for both genders, the 3000m women and the men’s 5000m, and on Sunday both genders will compete in the Team Pursuit and 1000m before closing off with the Mass Start.
For schedules and results of the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships, please visit the webpage here.
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