The Speed Skating season started in Berlin with fast times, and impressive track records by Jenny Wolf (GER), Christine Nesbitt (CAN) and Martína Sábliková (CZE). The time of Wolf was the fastest ever time on a lowland rink where times are usually slower because of the air resistance.
Ladies
The first distance for the ladies was the 3000m. No Dutch or Canadian ladies on the podium, but in third place was Stephanie Beckert, the young German lady who last year impressed on the 5000m and now finished a strong 3000m in 4:07.17. She was only little behind the second place, taken by Masako Hozumi from Japan, who managed 4:06.25. But the victory clearly went to Martína Sábliková, who took the track record of Dutch Renate Groenewold (4:02.44) down to 4:00.75, with most laps below 32, finishing in 32.4.
On Saturday, the lady sprinters came into action. On the 500m home favourite Jenny Wolf was only second, in 38.04. With a poor second turn, she had to bow to Beixing Wang (CHN), who won with 37.85. In third place finished Nao Kodaira, whose time was 38.19.
Nao Kodaira, Japanese champion on the three shortest distances, also made the 1000m podium that day. She beat double Olympic champion Marianne Timmer in a straight duel 1:15.92 to 1:16.13. Both times were good enough for silver and bronze, as there was only one other skater below 1:16.6: Christine Nesbitt from Canada won the 1000 with a strong 1:15.41.
On Sunday, Jenny Wolf was determined to and took an opening of 10.19 (in comparison: the second fastest opening was by Wang, 10.41) and a 27.3 lap brought her a new Track record time of 37.52. The old TR was also on her name with 37.75. The time of Wolf is also the fastest time ever on a lowland rink. After she crossed the finish line, she shook her head in amazement and disbelief. Later she commented: “In training I went faster and faster, so I knew I could do it, but often the lap was not that good. I would have been happy with a 37.7, so I was truly stunned.” In the next pair, Beixing Wang and Annette Gerritsen (NED) skated towards silver and bronze: 37.94 and 38.27. After two 500m races, Wolf and Wang share 180 points, Gerritsen after a 4th and 3rd place is third with 130 points. In the B-division there was an Australian record for Sophie Muir of 40.10.
Finally on the 1500m, the first surprise came in the fifth pair, where winner of the 3000m Sábliková proved to have mastered this distance as well, and finished in 1:56.99. The first to be below 1:58 after her was Brittany Schussler (CAN) in pair ten. Her time was 1:57.26 which was in the end the third time, as in the next pair her teammate Christine Nesbitt equaled Anni Friesinger’s track record and won the distance in 1:55.54.
Essent ISU World Cup Speed Skating –Berlin (GER) - Medal Winners
500m Ladies
| 1 | Beixing Wang | CHN | 37.85 |
| 2 | Jenny Wolf | GER | 38.04 |
| 3 | Nao Kodaira | JPN | 38.19 |
1000m Ladies
| 1 | Christine Nesbitt | CAN | 1:15.41 |
| 2 | Nao Kodaira | JPN | 1:15.92 |
| 3 | Marianne Timmer | NED | 1:16.13 |
500m Ladies
| 1 | Jenny Wolf | GER | 37.52 TR |
| 2 | Beixing Wang | CHN | 37.94 |
| 3 | Annette Gerritsen | NED | 38.27 |
1500m Ladies
| 1 | Christine Nesbitt | CAN | 1:55.54=TR |
| 2 | Martina Sábliková | CZE | 1:56.99 |
| 3 | Brittany Schussler | CAN | 1:57.26 |
3000m Ladies
| 1 | Martina Sábliková | CZE | 4:00.75 TR |
| 2 | Masako Hozumi | JPN | 4:06.25 |
| 3 | Stephanie Beckert | GER | 4:07.17 |
