Tomakomai day 2: Dutch skaters joined the party

World cup #2 in long track speed skating continued today in Tomakomai, Japan.

By Jackob Savard
Photo: Schaats Foto’s

For this second day of racing, the 500m (2), 1500m and mass start events were on the menu. If day one was a great day for Japan, Dutch skaters joined the party on day 2 obtaining solid results.

Another victory for Shinhama in the men’s 500m (2)

The 500m (1) winner Tatsuya Shinhama won his second event in two days with a track record performance of 35.451 in the 500m (2). Russia’s Viktor Mushtakov and Japan’s Yuma Murakami completed the podium. With this victory, Shinhama took the lead in the 500m World cup ranking and is the first men to win the distance two times this season.

Strong showing by Wüst in the ladies’ 1500m

Reigning Olympic champion Ireen Wüst from the Netherlands won the women’s 1500m event of this second World cup of the season. She skated the distance in a time of 1:58.742 to beat Japan’s Miho Takagi and United States’ Brittany Bowe. It was once again a fast competition as the five fastest skaters raced under the previous track record of 2:00.29.

The Dutch swept the podium in the men's 1500m

The men’s 1500m event was dominated by Dutch skaters. Olympic champion on the distance Kjeld Nuis won the race with a time of 1:47.611. His teammates on the Dutch national team and professional team Jumbo, Patrick Roest and Thomas Krol, completed the podium. The first non Dutch skater was Seitaro Ichinohe from Japan who took the fourth place.

Four in four for Kodaira

Nao Kodaira showed once again that she is the fastest skater in the world by winning her 4th 500m event of the season and her 20th in career. She finished the distance in 38.263 to beat Vanessa Herzog and Brittany Bowe who finished second and third. It was Bowe's second bronze medal of the day. It was Herzog's fourth silver medal on 500m this season. She seems to be the only one who could maybe challenge Kodaira at the moment.

Surprising Belarusian victory in the men’s mass start

Thirty-two-year-old Vitaly Mikhailov from Belarus escaped the pack early in the race and nobody was able to comeback on him. Korea’s Cheonho Um won the pack sprint to take the second place while Bart Swings took the bronze medal.

In the ladies' race, the victory was played in the sprint. Korean Kim Bo-Reum won it in front of Italian Francesca Lollobrigida and Canadian Ivanie Blondin.

For our day 1 recap, click HERE

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