Richardson wins on Day 1 ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final GER

Ireen Wüst led the Ladies’ Grand World Cup standings, but she decided not to compete in Erfurt. Heather Richardson (USA) and Martina Sábliková (CZE) started the season as the main contenders for the Ladies’ Grand World Cup. On the first day of the final weekend Marrit Leenstra (NED) secured the 1500m World Cup.

Richardson fastest in 500m field, Kodaira close to World Cup win
After a long season only two contenders were left to win the ladies 500m World Cup. Sang-Hwa Lee (KOR) was in the lead with 880 points, but absent in Erfurt. Number two, Nao Kodaira (JPN), had to make up a gap of 150 points.

With a win, Kodaira could get equal points with Lee, but she has not been in great shape after she got ill at the World Sprint Championships three weeks ago. The Japanese lady finished fourth with 38.27, earning 90 points and needing another top-5 finish on Sunday.

Heather Richardson took the victory one day after her 26^th birthday. She set 37.80, and climbed past Judith Hesse (GER), to rank 3 with 560 points. Britanny Bowe (USA) was second with 37.93 and Yekaterina Aydova (KAZ) finished in third place with 38.15. The Kazak lady celebrated her first ever podium finish in the World Cup.

With one race to go, Lee still leads with 880 points, Kodaira follows with 820, while Richardson (560 points) passed Hesse, who is fourth with 517.

Leenstra grabs the 1500m World Cup, Bowe wins in Erfurt
In the ladies 1500m, leader Wüst gave up her chances of winning the World Cup when she decided she was too tired to race again. Wüst had 340 points with Leenstra (320) and Richardson (280) close behind. Theoretically, Ida Njåtun (NOR, 228), Bowe (220) and Sábliková (CZE, 207) could still win as well.

Sábliková was the first of the favourites to start and she had a good race with laps of 29.1, 30.0 and 31.3 to set 1:56.74, which was good enough for the bronze on Saturday. That result keeps her in the race for the Grand World Cup.

In the penultimate pair Bowe beat Njåtun, with laps of 28.8, 30.2 and a good finish of 31.3. Her 1:55.88 was the mark to beat for Richardson and Leenstra. Both ladies had the fast openers, and Richardson continued with a lap of 28.3 (28.6 Leenstra). Then Leenstra skated a 30.4 lap, Richardson 30.6. Both skaters looked tired, but Richardson finished with a 31.9 lap, just missing the victory in 1:55.99. Leenstra couldn’t keep up with her and finished with a 33.0 lap to set the fourth time: 1:57.45 just 0.01 ahead of Njåtun. That small margin gave her the edge over Richardson in the final World Cup ranking. Leenstra won the World Cup with 410 points, Richardson finished second with 400, Bowe third with 370, and Wüst (340) dropped to rank four.

ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final Erfurt (GER) - Medal Winners day 1

500m Ladies