Dresden Day 2: Korea and Canada on top / Mascitto on the podium

This weekend, the EnergieVerbund arena in Dresden, Germany is the theater of the fourth leg of the World cup circuit in short track speed skating, and the best actors in the sport offered us a great show on Day 2.

By Carl Savard

Photo by Schaats Foto’s

After a rollercoaster day filled with unfortunate events on Friday, the athletes were battling for glory on 1000m and 1500m today. Some of the teams also had to fight for a spot to compete in the relay finals tomorrow.

1500m: Kim Ji You and Kim Gun Woo win gold

In one of the most exciting 1500m final this season on the women’s side, Kim Ji You from Korea won the gold medal finishing ahead of Canada’s Kim Boutin (silver) and the Netherlands’ Suzanne Schulting. Reigning world champion on the distance, Korea’s Choi Min Jeong, finished 5th but was all smile to see her teammate climb on the highest step of the podium today.

The main final on the men’s side was just as exciting. Frenchman Thibaut Fauconnet, Japan’s Keita Watanabe, 2018 world champion Charles Hamelin and his Canadian teammate Steven Dubois, Italy’s Yuri Confortola and Korea’s Kim Gun Woo and Lim Hyo Jun had to fight to see who would be the three lead actors and who would be the supporting ones. At the end of a hard fought race both Koreans tried to pass Hamelin at the same time, one on the outside and one on the inside, but the Canadian veteran was able to to resist to one of the attacks finishing in second place behind Kim. Lim finishes in third place. After a great race in his semifinal, Canada’s Steven Dubois finished fourth.

1000m (1): A well deserved podium for Mascitto

After a flawless performance in the semifinals on 1000m, Italy’s Cynthia Mascitto fought hard to climb on the podium and get the bronze today in Dresden. Mascitto who grew up in Canada and performed well at every stage of her career before crossing the ocean to continue her path with the Italian team, seemed at ease on the ice today. A good news considering the injuries that bothered her last season. Russia’s Sofia Prosvirnova won the gold medal while Korea’s Choi Ji Yun got the bronze. Canada’s Alyson Charles finished fourth.

Charle Cournoyer from Canada had to fight Hungary’s Liu Shaolin Sandor and Korea’s Hwang Dae Heon, Hong Kyung Hwan and Park Ji Won in an effort to offer Canada its third medal today. The 27-year-old athlete from Boucherville, Canada answered with a performance good enough to win silver finishing between Hwang Dae Heon (gold) and Hong Kyung Hwan (bronze).

Relay: Great Britain in the A final for the first time in mixed relay

When it was announced that the ISU was adding the mixed relay event to its program, Great Britain’s Elise Christie shared with us that she was hoping her country would be able to have a team to participate in the event. It’s with huge smiles that the British team will get on the ice tomorrow in the A final of the event. Korea, Russia and Hungary will try to prevent them from getting on the podium. In the women’s 3000m relay final, Canada, Russia, Korea and Hungary will battle it out. The men’s 5000m relay event will for sure be exciting as Canada, China, Japan and Hungary will be on the starting line next to each other. Hungary will be without Liu Shaoang who badly injured his hand yesterday.

Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter, follow our Facebook page, our Instagram account and our Twitter account for daily news and results about speed skating.