World cup Debrecen: Dion keeps on shining for Canada

Pascal Dion leaves Hungary with four medals. Another great weekend for the 27-year-old Canadian. 

By Carl Savard

Photo by Martin Holtom

Dion on the podium once again in the 1000m

Canada's Pascal Dion, leader in the 1000m rankings after two legs, won silver today in the distance to stay in the lead. However, he is only a few points ahead of Korea's Hwang Dae-heon. If both athletes make it to the grand final next weekend in Dordrecht, it promises to be a very exciting show. Dion also helped the Canadian team finish ahead of the Koreans (silver) and the Hungarians (bronze) in the 5000m relay event. Let's not forget that Dion won his first career medal on 1500m yesterday and helped Canada win in the mixed relay by skating in the quarterfinal.

Schulting is untouchable

On the women's side, it seems that nothing and no one was going to stop Suzanne Schulting this weekend in Debrecen. After winning gold in the 1500m and 500m yesterday she added gold in the 1000m today finishing ahead of Choi Min-jeong (silver) and Natalia Maliszewska (bronze). In addition to her individual prowess, Schulting led the Dutch women's team to victory in the 3000m relay to complete her perfect weekend. Canada won the silver medal in this distance while China took the bronze.

Mixed Relay

After a desperate move by Italy's Pietro Sieghel in the semi-final led to a penalty resulting in an advancement, five teams reached the finals of the mixed relay event as Korea, Hungary, Canada, China and France took their places on the starting line. Dominant throughout the race, China won gold finishing ahead of Canada. France also reached the podium to win the bronze medal. 

Other news for Canada

As for the other Canadian performances on this last day of competition in Debrecen, Courtney Sarault finished 5th in the 1000m following a penalty in the grand final. Jordan Pierre-Gilles obtained the same result. The leaders of the Canadian team Kim Boutin and Charles Hamelin had seen their journey end in the quarter finals of the individual distance.

The athletes will meet next weekend in Dordrecht in the Netherlands to complete the World Cup season.

For full results click HERE

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World cup Debrecen: Schulting in gold on the first day of the finals

The Főnix Arena in Debrecen, Hungary is the scene of the 3rd round of the World Cup in short track speed skating this weekend and it was finals day in 1500m and 500m today. 

By Carl Savard

Photos by Martin Holtom

Ren Ziwei and Suzanne Schulting prevail on 1500m

Today was a day of celebration for Liu Shaolin Sandor who was celebrating his 26th birthday. However, his opponents in the 1500m grand final had no intention of doing him any favors, especially China's Ren Ziwei, Canada's Pascal Dion and Korea's Park Jang-hyuk who won gold, silver and bronze respectively. Liu finished in 5th place. Pascal Dion is currently 4th overall in the 1500m and is currently sitting atop the 1000m rankings.

In the women's event, the top five skaters in the World Cup 1500m rankings after two legs were in the grand final today in Debrecen. In a very competitive final, Lee Yubin was able to maintain her top ranking by finishing second in this final, but she is now only a few points ahead of the big winner of today's final, Suzanne Schulting, who was able to withstand Lee and Choi Min-jeong's sustained attacks in the last two laps to take the gold. Canada's Courtney Sarault won the bronze and is now fourth in the standings with one event to go this season. 

Schulting and the Lius are all smiles on 500m

In a final led largely by world record holder Kim Boutin, it was Suzanne Schulting who finally crossed the finish line in first place adding a second gold medal to her collection today. Italy's Ariana Fontana won silver while Boutin finished in third place. The young Canadian Florence Brunelle finished in fourth place. 

In the men's event, the Liu brothers put on quite a show for their fans as the photo finish was needed to determine the gold medal winner. Liu Shaolin Sandor finally gave himself a birthday present by finishing one hundredth of a second ahead of his younger brother Liu Shaoang to grab the gold. The bronze medal was won by Ren Ziwei from China who was on the podium for the second time today.

The finals on 1000m and the different relay events will be held tomorrow.

For full results click HERE

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KNSB Invitation Cup, the train gets back on track at the international level in short track

The KNSB International Invitation Cup took place last weekend in Heerenveen, Netherlands.

By Carl Savard

Photo Schaats Foto's

The KNSB International Invitation Cup is an opportunity for the Netherlands to have its best skaters showcase their talents before the country announce the selected athletes for the first two world cup events. Some of the other national teams that were invited to take part in the competition went differently about it. 

While Italy, Hungary and France sent most of their top skaters, Canada used the Invitation Cup to add to the development of its younger prospects. The Czech republic, Belgium, Latvia and Israel also had athletes competing during the weekend. The group of skaters on both the women’s and the men’s sides were split in A and B groups and athletes competed in the classic distances. Smaller countries even joined forces in the relay events. 

Schulting was just too strong

If the weekend’s results are any indication of what's to come in this olympic season, it’s safe to say Suzanne Schulting is ready for the battlefield. The twenty-four-year-old from Groningen finished in first place on the three individual distances in the A group. Following her on the final ranking were Italy’s Arianna Fontana and Hungary’s Petra Jaszapati. Schulting’s compatriots Xandra Velzeboer, Rianne DeVries and Yara van Kerkhof finished in 4th, 5th and 6th place. The best Canadian performance of the weekend went to Ann-Sophie Bachand who finished 15th of the A group.

Hungary in control on the men’s side

Even though eight out of the top eleven positions of the final rankings on the men’s side went to Dutch skaters, the top three positions went to Hungary. Finishing 1st on the 1500m and 1000m and 4th on the 500m, Liu Shaolin Sandor closed his weekend in 1st place. He was followed on the ranking by his brother Liu Shaoang and their teammate John-Henry Krueger. The KNSB International Invitation Cup was tough for local star Sjinkie Knegt who finished in 3rd place on 1500m but 10th on the 500m and 20th on the 1000m giving him the 7th place overall. Canada’s best result went to Jérome Courtemanche with a 17th place on the overall ranking of the A group. 

For full results click HERE

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Deanna Lockett: The traveling Hungaroo

I know I've told you in the past but one thing I truly appreciate about covering a sport like short track is having the opportunity to meet people from all over the globe. It’s actually something a lot of athletes enjoy too but while some just surf on the opportunity, others push it further by moving to another part of the world to keep their dream alive and make the most out of it. That’s what Australian-born Deanna Lockett did.

By Carl Savard

Photos by Oscar van den Bosch and Deanna Lockett's personal collection

It’s with a big smile and a laid back attitude that the 24-year-old from Sunnybank, Australia sat with me for a chat last fall when the short track speed skating World cup circus was in Montreal. Lockett, who’s now representing Hungary, was ready to talk about her life as an elite athlete, but first I was curious to know how a kid from Australia ends up choosing a winter sport.

“I started skating when I was eight or nine. Most sports are played outside in the middle of the day in sunny Australia and I have a pretty light color skin and my dad was worried about skin cancer risks so we ended up at the ice rink. At first it was just for general skating sessions. I liked going really fast so I tried speed skating and fell in love with it. I didn’t grow up surrounded by athletes but I’ve always been competitive and from the get go I wanted to become a high level speed skater. I was sixteen when I skated in a World cup event for the first time and I didn’t expect much but I ended up making the B final on 1500m and was really shocked. I started thinking that maybe I could be a really good skater.”

Known for her endurance on the ice and in need of a change of pace after a few seasons on the international circuit in short track, Lockett decided to switch to long track and give it a try. Despite physically having the stamina needed to compete on the 400m oval, the Australian figured out quite fast that long track wasn’t for her. “I’m really good to keep a pace in short track but I’m not as good with the racing aspect so I thought long track would be good for me but it’s really different. I thought it would be a lot easier than it was. It was really hard. I trained for about three months in the Netherlands and I didn’t enjoy it. I couldn’t wait for the training sessions to be over. That’s when I decided to reach out to Hungary."

Outside of the the Netherlands, Hungary is probably the country that managed to have the biggest progression in the last eight years thanks to the prowess of the Liu brothers and the arrival of Zhang Jing as an advisor - and later coach - in 2012. Something else helping their program is their openness to the idea of welcoming athletes from elsewhere to either train or join their team. USA’s Cole Krueger started skating for Hungary last season while his brother John Henry, just like Lockett, started representing The Land of Magyars this season. Deanna Lockett knew she could have just surfed on the fact that it would have been a safe choice for her to stay in Australia and represent her native country at the Olympics three times, but she wanted more. She needed more. She felt she had to think outside of the box. “Although there wasn’t many skaters at my level to push me and train with me when I was there, Australia gave me so many opportunities and they did everything that they could. The thing is, I wanted to be part of a big team. I had the opportunity to train with big teams in the past, in Korea and elsewhere, but it’s not like having your own. I’m really grateful that Hungary has taken me on. Since I had train with them before I pretty much knew everyone and since I had to skip a season because I was going to skate for another country I had no pressure and just trained. The women’s team in Hungary lost a few older skaters, so there was an opening. It was kind of a perfect timing for me.“

Although the timing was perfect and she knew most of the people involved in the Hungarian program it’s still a huge change to settle elsewhere in the world and get a new citizenship. Lockett didn’t have clear goals for the season that's coming to an end other than getting accustomed to her new environment. “It’s been a lot to get used to Hungary, the program is different, I have a team now and also I skipped a year and I feel like the field as gotten stronger while I was away which is good but I’m not rushing for some results. I’m just skating and trying to enjoy what I’m doing . Maybe next season I’ll put more pressure on myself but I try to stay in the moment and not think to much ahead because when I think too ahead then I get too nervous.”

As a fan of short track since the end of the 80's, I’m always interested in knowing which national skater had an impact on an athlete when they were younger. Asking that question to a Dutch or a Canadian skater is easy since they have a lot of role models to pick from, asking it to someone from a country whose short track history is often linked to a historical anecdote at the 2002 Olympics (see Steven Bradbury) is another thing. For Deanna Lockett, one name popped in her head when I asked her the question and it's someone who had made similar career choices. “When I was between 10 and 12 years old, we had Tatiana Borodulina from Russia who skated for Australia. She won World cup medals and I’d say she was a pretty big inspiration for me. But other than that, I didn’t really look up to other skaters or even know about them too much before I showed up on the international scene.” 

Even when she was the only female skater representing Australia, Lockett was still able to perform to a high level. In 2017, she won her first medal on the World cup circuit, finishing third behind Choi Min Jeong and Kim Boutin on 1500m in Budapest. A year before, she had finished 4th on 1000m in Dresden. Now as a member of the Hungarian team and having the opportunity to compete in the relay events, Lockett knows her chances of visiting the podium in the near future are even better. “We need to adjust to one another and find our timing but I think our speed is good.” 

The traveling Hungaroo knows the life she’s living right now isn’t your regular everyday life and she tries to cherish every moment. “It’s great meeting people from other countries and spending time with them. You make new friends and learn things from other cultures. If you would have told me three years ago that I would become a Hungarian citizen I would have laughed at you. I now have three passports!*”

Deanna Lockett should be in action on the Mokdong Ice Rink in Seoul from March 13 to the 15 to compete one last time this season at the ISU Short track speed skating world championships.

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*Before obtaining her Hungarian citizenship, Deanna Lockett already had an Australian and British passports.

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Day 2 in Dresden: Kim Ji Yoo surprises Schulting - Park Ji Won dominates

The best skaters in the world are currently competing at the fifth Short Track World Cup in Dresden, Germany.

By Florence Gauthier
Photos by Martin Holtom

1000m - The Koreans, masters of the situation

Regulars of short track speed skating know the Korean long-distance strategy: stay in the back of the pack to keep your legs fresh and accelerate towards the end to win the race. On the men's side, this strategy paid off for the World Cup distance leader Park Ji Won, who finished first. Shaolin Sandor Liu (HUN) won the silver medal and Yoshinaga Kazuki (JPN) closed the podium. The women had to work twice as hard compared to a regular 1000m since, two laps from the end, the race was stopped after a fall from Lee Yu Bin (KOR) and Sofia Prosvirnova (RUS). The Korean was penalized and unfortunately went out on a stretcher and the Russian was also penalized. When the race resumed, Suzanne Schulting (NED), Courtney Lee Sarault (CAN) and Kim Ji Yoo (KOR) fought for first place. A hot fight between Schulting and Kim saw the Korean win the distance. Sarault managed to take second place at the very end and Schulting settled for bronze.

1500m - Some first-timers on the men's side - Boutin penalized

The public was treated with an exciting race for the men's A final. From the start, Ren Ziwei (CHN) accelerated to try to take a lap on the other skaters. The attempt narrowly failed, but his lead allowed him to win the race. Two new faces ended up on the podium. In his first career World Cup, Sven Roes (NED) used the adrenaline from his first A final to win the silver medal. Kim Dagyeom (KOR) had visited the podium in relays this season but had never won an individual medal on the circuit. This is no longer the case thanks to his bronze medal in the distance. To everyone's surprise, the 1500m overall leader in the World Cup, Lee June Seo (KOR), was disqualified following a line change in an overtaking. The women's A final was not easy either. Kim Boutin (CAN), fifth on the distance, was in a good position, but she made a bad overtaking and was penalized. Choi Min Jeong (KOR) used the Korean strategy to go for the gold. On the podium, Noh Ah Rum (KOR) was on the second step and Han Yu Tong (CHN), the distance leader, finished on the third step.

Mixed relay - First victory of the season for the Hungarians

In their first A final of the season, the Hungarians defeated the other teams to win gold. The last handover went to Shaolin Sandor Liu for Hungary and Semen Elistratov on the Russian side. The two skaters fought a close battle, but the Hungarian emerged victorious. The French followed the Russians on the podium to win the bronze medal. Unfortunately, in the middle of the race, a skater from the Netherlands fell, which cost the team a place on the podium.

For full results click HERE
For Day 1 recap it's HERE

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Suzanne Schulting and Liu Shaoang win the 2020 European titles

Suzanne Schulting and Liu Shaoang offered great performances again on the third day of the European champonships to win the 2020 edition of the competition held in Hungary.

By Carl Savard

Photos by Martin Holtom

Shulting wins her second title in a row

The Dutch star just picked up where she left things yesterday starting this third day of competiton with a win on 1000m. This third victory in a row was enough to confirm her title of 2020 European champion even before racing the 3000m superfinal. Her teammate Lara van Ruijven joined her on the 1000m podium winning silver while seven-time European champion Arianna Fontana won the bronze. Fontana went on to win the 3000m superfinal ending the competition in second place overall. While Schulting didn’t need to win the 3000m, she did try to move forward in the pack with a few laps left to the race but was penalised for a hazardous action. Hanne Desmet was also penalised while Anna Seidel got herself a yellow card for a dangerous action at the end of the race. Ekaterina Efremenkova finished second of the 3000m while Martina Valcepina’s third place on the distance allowed her to finish in third place overall in the final ranking. 

In the relay, the Dutch team composed of Suzanne Schulting, Yara van Kerkhof, Lara van Ruijven and Rianne de Vries won the title in the event finishing ahead of the Italians and the Russians. The Hungarian team was penalised. 

The Liu brothers decide on the outcome of the competition

With both Liu Shaolin Sandor and Liu Shaoang in action on 1000m, the crowd was loud during the final that was also raced by Semen Elistratov, Itzhak de Laat, Daan Beeuwsma and Yuri Confortola. Liu Shaolin Sandor finished first and was accompanied on the podium by Liu Shaoang and Semen Elistratov after a highly exciting final. With only six points separating the Liu before the 3000m superfinal, fans of the distance were expecting a show, but the brothers had decided otherwise and didn’t play letting the three first distances decide of who would win the 2020 title. Semen Elistratov won the 3000m securing his third spot in the overall ranking. Liu Shaoang is your new European champion while Liu Shaolin Sandor finishes in second place. Last year, Shaolin had won the title with Shaoang finishing second ahead of Elistratov. 

Angry crowd after the men’s relay

After offering one of the best show in recent history on the relay, the Hungarian team was penalised on what looked like a pretty common move in this kind of event. A situation that sent the crowd booing the decision and allowed Russia to win gold while the Dutch team got silver and the Italians won the bronze.

For full results click HERE

For our Day 2 recap click HERE

For our Day 1 recap click HERE

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Europe's best short track skaters ready to battle it out

The 2020 European Short Track Championships started today in Debrecen, Hungary.

By Jackob Savard

Photo: Schaats Foto’s

The qualifying day in Debrecen was rather calm as most of the medal contenders managed to secure a place in this weekend's main event. 

In the women's category, Belgian Hanne Desmet, Dutch Suzanne Schulting and Yara van Kerkhof, Russians Ekaterina Efremenkova and Sofia Prosvirnova, Hungarians Deanna Lockett and Petra Jaszapati, Italian Arianna Fontana and Polish Natalia Maliszewska all got through their qualification rounds on all three individual distances. Great Britain's Elise Christie, who was penalized on 1000m, Italy's Martina Valcepina, who crashed on 1000m, and Dutch Lara van Ruijven who crashed on 1500m are three of the higher ranked skaters who didn’t had a perfect day in Debrecen.

There were several penalties and crashes on the men's side of the competition, but nothing that involved the podiums favourites. Short track fans in Debrecen will see Shaoang Liu, Shaolin Sandor Liu, Sébastien Lepape, Alexander Shulginov, Semen Elistratov, Daan Breeuwsma, Itzhak de Laat, Vladislav Bykanov and Stijn Desmet compete in all individual distances this weekend.

In the six relay quarterfinal heats, no less than three disqualifications and two yellow cards were awarded. Big fights are expected this weekend between the Netherlands, Russia and Hungary for the European relay titles.

For the detailed results, click HERE

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UPDATE Dec 4th: Zhang Jing resigns over a disrespectful comment from one of her skaters

In an unexpected turn of events, the Hungarian team in short track speed skating just lost its head coach halfway through the World cup season. 

By Carl Savard

Photo by Tony Chung

Zhang Jing who represented China at the 1994 Olympics, has been a key factor why the Hungarian program in short track speed skating has grown so fast in the last few years. Her first contact with the actual Hungarian skaters goes back to her coaching days in China. In 2007 she trained two young and unknown Hungarian skaters who had traveled to their father's home country to become better athletes: Liu Shaolin Sandor and Liu Shaoang. It’s in 2012 that she went to Hungary as an advisor and eventually became the head coach of the team. Since then, Hungary has become a force to be reckoned with in the sport of short track. 

It’s through her social media that Zhang Jing, better known as Lina, shared her decision to quit the team. A negative post by skater Burjan Csaba, concerning the waiting time at the airport customs in China using the “F-Word” to complain about his coach’s native country, shocked the coach enough to present her resignation to the Hungarian team. CGTN reports that Zhang shared on the web that she “was astounded and outraged by the racist comments against China made publicly by Hungarian short track speed skater Burjan Csaba.” She added to her statement: “I can't tolerate a Hungarian skater, especially a Hungarian Olympic champion, making racist comments against China. And for the record, I resigned as the Hungarian short track speed skating team's head coach.” 

We will give you more info as they become available

UPDATE: December 4th 2019:

Hungarian skater Burjan Csaba apologized for his actions on social media posting: "Deeply sorry for yesterday's post. Was tired after long trip didn't mean it. Hope everybody understands. Sorry again."

Asian media reports that the Hungarian federation didn't accept Lina Zhang Jing's resignation and is in talk with the coach at this moment to settle the situation. Burjan Csaba has apologized to his coach. He will not skate the 4th leg of the World cup season this weekend and the federation is evaluating what further disciplinary actions will be taken in regards to the situation.

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