Successful Four Continents Championships for the United States and Korea

The first ever long track speed skating Four continents championships were skated last weekend at the Pettit ice center in Milwaukee, US.

By Jackob Savard

Photos: ISU speed skating

Skaters from nine countries including the United States, Korea, China, Canada and Kazhakstan competed in Milwaukee at the first Four continents champion titles in long track. 

Korea big winners on 500m

Korean Min-Sun Kim won the ladies’ 500m in front of Canadian Brooklyn McDougall and Korean Hyun-Yung Kim. The men’s 500m was also won by a Korean as Kim Joon-Ho skated a new track record of 34.592 to beat Canada’s Alex Boisvert-Lacroix and Kazakhstan’s Roman Krech.

Kilburg and Schigolev long distances champions

Crowd favorite Mia Kilburg-Manganello won the ladies’ 3000m with a time of 4:07.005. Kazakh Nadezhda Morozova and Japanese Nana Takahashi completed the podium. The men’s 5000m was a tight race between teammates Vitaliy Schigolev and Dimity Morozov from Kazhakstan. Schigolev finally had the fastest time of 6:19.335, his new personal best. Morozov took silver and American Emery Lehman bronze.

Canada and Korea at the top in the team sprint

The Canadian women's team won the ladie's team sprint ahead of the Koreans and the Chinese while the Koreans won the men's team sprint, beating China and Kazakhstan.

Bocox and Kim get the 1500m titles

Crowd favorite Brianna Bocox won the 1500m Four continents title registering a personal best time of 1:57.176. Nadezhda Morozova from Kazakhstan and Park Ji Woo from Korea completed the ladies’ podium on the distance. Olympic medalist Kim Min-Seok from Korea won the men’s 1500m in front of Canadians Jess Neufeld and Jake Weidemann. 

Another one for Kilburg in the mass start

United States’ Mia Kilburg-Manganello won her second title of the weekend with her great final sprint in the mass start. Kim Bo-Reum and Park Ji-Woo from Korea crossed the line in second and third. Mass start specialist from Korea Um Cheon-Ho and Chung Jae-Won took the first two places in the men’s ranking. American Ian Quinn was third. 

Bocox and Kubo 1000m champions

American Brianna Bocox took her second title and her second personal best time of the weekend skating her 1000m in 1:15.537. Japanese Rio Yamada and American Mia Kilburg-Manganello finished second and third. Japanese Koki Kubo won the men’s 1000m edging out Canadian Laurent Dubreuil by 0.002 seconds. Korean Kim Jin Su got bronze.

Team pursuit goes to the United States and Canada

The United States added one more title to their great weekend by winning the ladies’ team pursuit in front of Canada and China. In the men’s pursuit, team Canada got gold in front of team Korea and team Kazakhstan.

Click HERE for the full results

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