Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating – Astana (KAZ) – Day 1
The skaters gathered in the Kazakh capital Astana for the third Essent ISU World Cup of this season. Today on the first day track records were improved in all three distances skated: the Ladies’ 500m and 5000m. The winning time of 37.27 in the 500m is the fastest ever skated on a low-altitude rink (the previous best was 37.51). There were 14 personal best times, mainly in the longest distance.
Sang-Hwa Lee (KOR) once again claimed victory in the Ladies’ 500m race, for the 25th time in her career. Six skaters finished in times under 38 seconds. Nao Kodaira (JPN) was the first of them to set a track record, with 37.72.
In the next pair Jenny Wolf (GER) beat Olga Fatkulina (RUS), who finished fifth, and took over the lead with 37.70. World record holder Lee raced in the final pair with Heather Richardson (USA). Lee opened in a very strong 10.17 and took the victory in 37.27, the fastest time ever on any rink outside Calgary and Salt Lake City.
Richardson just missed the podium with her time of 37.76. Behind Lee, Beixing Wang (CHN) was second in the ranking, but her absence cost her a top-three position, Wolf is now second with 328 points and Richardson third with 310.
Ladies’ 5000m
This weekend the program features the longest distance. The main battle was between Martina Sábliková (CZE) and Claudia Pechstein (GER). This time Pechstein started faster than the world record holder but after 3000m Sábliková took the lead and continued with low 33 laps to secure her 30th World Cup victory and bring her own track record below seven minutes in 6:59.88.
Pechstein finished in 7:01.10. The Dutch did not send De Jong or Wüst, but Yvonne Nauta finished third with 7:04.64, and the top-four finishers in the B-division were also Dutch, with Carlijn Achtereekte winning in 7:03.55, the third-best time of the day, and Carien Kleibeuker also finishing below the time of Nauta. Sábliková leads in the World Cup ranking with 280 points, 20 more than Pechstein.
Tomorrow’s program has the second 500m and the 1500m for Ladies.
Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating – Astana (KAZ) - Medal Winners Friday
500m Ladies
| 1 | Sang-Hwa Lee | KOR | 37.27 TR |
| 2 | Jenny Wolf | GER | 37.70 TR |
| 3 | Nao Kodaira | JPN | 37.72 TR |
5000m Ladies
| 1 | Martina Sábliková | CZE | 6:59.88 TR |
| 2 | Claudia Pechstein | GER | 7:01.10 |
| 3 | Yvonne Nauta | NED | 7:04.64 |
1500m Men
