Torino Day 2: It was a mad, mad, mad day!

After an awfully long day trying to qualify for the main events of the weekend on Friday, athletes were back on the ice today in Torino in hope of winning some medals on 500m and 1500m.

By Carl Savard

Photos by Schaats Foto’s

Valcepina wins gold in a crazy 500m final  

It’s pretty rare to see athletes having to go through the starting line routine four times before officially battling against one another for glory but it’s exactly what happened today in the main final of the women’s 500m. With the three best skaters on the distance this season in the race, Natalia Maliszewska, Lara van Ruijven and Martina Valcepina, fans around the world knew they would witness quite a show. Add to the mix the presence of Canada’s Kim Boutin, Olympic medalist last season on the distance, and you’ll understand why every inches of ice was battled so hard. The unusual routine definitely left some confusion. With one lap to go, Lara van Ruijven extended her leg at the finish line thinking the race was over. Doing so, she lost speed and it  probably cost her a spot on the podium. The error may prevent her from winning the season overall ranking on the distance with only one 500m to go tomorrow. Martina Valcepina won the gold medal in front of her family, friends and fans. Poland’s Natalia Maliszewska won silver while Kim Boutin won the bronze. On the men’s side, Korea’s Hwang Dae Heon won the gold, while Hungary’s Liu Shaolin Sandor won silver and Canada’s Cedrik Blais won the bronze. Blais’s teammate Samuel Girard finished fourth following a penalty in the final.

Suzanne Schulting queen of the… 1500m and ten skaters met in the men’s A final

While we were all in awe of Suzanne Schulting’s invincible season on 1000m, the 21-year-old athlete from the Netherlands steadily gathered points on the 1500m. With Choi Min Jeong out of the main final today, Schulting had the opportunity to win another overall title this season. After studying the field from the back for a good portion of the race, Schulting stepped on the gas and finished strong to earn the gold medal and the season’s title. Korea’s Kim Ji Yoo finished second in the race followed by Germany’s Anna Seidel in third. Hanne Desmet’s fourth place needs to be highlighted as the 22-year-old had to go through the repêchage portion of the competition earlier today to secure her place in the main event. An exhausting day and a fourth place that probably feels like a victory.

On the men’s side, a slew of penalties and advancements sent ten skaters in the main final on 1500m. Even though the men’s competition has been pretty hectic so far this weekend, everything went clean in this unorthodox final. It’s with no real surprise that Korea placed two skaters on the podium as Kim Gun Woo won gold and Hong Kyung Hwan won silver. With this win, Kim confirmed his win on the overall season ranking on 1500m. After skating a perfect semifinal and leading a portion of the race in the final, Canada’s Steven Dubois is going home with a bronze medal and finishes second on 1500m this season. Quite an accomplishment for the young man from Lachenaie, Canada.

In the relays, Japan and Italy battled it hard until the end

In the 2000m mixed relay Canada, Russia, France and the USA all qualified for the main final. In the 3000m women’s relay, Korea, Netherlands, Russia and Italy will meet to fight for the win. After pushing hard until the end, Japan and Italy will face Russia and the Netherlands in the men’s 5000m final. Keita Watanabe’s finish and Yuri Confortola’s last presence on the ice deserves to be noted.

For Friday’s recap click HERE

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