China dominate in The Skating Team Championships

One week after crowning its World Short Track Speed Skating Champions, racing for the short track speed skating circuit resumed this weekend in Heerenveen, The Netherlands for the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Team Championships. The eight countries qualified for this weekend’s championships were: Canada, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Netherlands, and the United States (USA). For a second consecutive year, China earns the title of Ladies World Short Track Speed Skating Team Champion. The World Short Track Speed Skating Team Champions for 2009 is Korea.  

The weekend kicked off on Saturday with the qualifying rounds; in both the ladies competition, the teams were divided into two qualifying brackets based on World Team Ranking. In each bracket of racing, the skaters would compete in the 1000 meters, 500 meters, 3000 meters and relay events. The winners of both qualifying brackets would automatically advance to the final of the Team Championships, while the second and third place finishers of each qualifying brackets, would compete in a repechage round, later in the day on Saturday. The top two finishers in the repechage rounds for the ladies would advance to the finals of the Team Championships on Sunday.

In the ladies competition, the qualifying bracket #1 was composed of the teams from China, Germany, Italy and the United States, whereas the second qualifying bracket saw Korea, Canada, Japan and Netherlands racing each other. In the first bracket, China dominated the racing, by taking a total of 50 points, almost doubling the second and third place rivals Italy and the United States. With the win, China automatically advanced to the finals; Italy and the United States were given a second chance to qualify for the final, by competing in the repechage. In the qualifying bracket #2, Korea was the team to dominate, by winning seven of the ten races, to earn a total of 51 points. The teams of Canada and Netherlands joined Italy and the United States in the repechage round.

On Sunday, the finals of the Team Championships were set to go. In both the ladies and men competitions, it was the teams from Canada and the United States to advance from the repechage round to join China and Korea in the finals. The ladies from China continued to show why they have dominated the world circuit this past season, taking the win in seven of the ten races in the finals, to finish first overall.

The conclusion of the World Short Track Team Speed Skating Team Championships also marks the end of the 2008-2009 world short track speed skating season. For up-to-date news and information on Short Track Speed Skating, please visit www.isu.org