#ShortTrackWorldTour

Kristen Santos-Griswold of the USA Eagles finally took possession of the women’s ISU Crystal Globe on Sunday, racing to a brilliant gold and a gutsy silver medal on the concluding day of the ISU Short Track World Tour in Milan, Italy, to get her over the line. 

Santos-Griswold has battled confidence issues and poor luck this season to rise to the top of her sport – and at the Assago Forum she showed all her ability and resilience to see off challenges from Corinne Stoddard of the USA Eagles, Hanne Desmet of the Belgian Ice Bears and Xandra Velzeboer of the Dutch Lions.

“I’m over the moon that I got it done,” said Santos-Griswold. “The way this year has gone sometimes, I’m shocked that I was able to do it. That makes it an even bigger boost for next year. It raises my confidence. I’m really happy.” 

A delighted Kristen Santos-Griswold (USA) after her Crystal Globe victory was confirmed with first place in the 500m. © ISU

Desmet, meanwhile, showcased the fact that she is in lethal form as the World Championships approach with another winning performance in a 1500m final packed with the season’s top names. 

Desmet takes 1500m glory but Santos-Griswold grabs crucial points 

The 1500m always looked like it could be a decisive moment in a season full of twists and turns. If Santos-Griswold or her closest Crystal Globe challenger, Stoddard, faltered in the heats, it could be game over for either of them. 

In the end, both USA Eagles made the A final alongside fellow Globe contender Desmet. 

In a chaotic, high-quality race in which all three of them took the lead along with Arianna Fontana of the Italian Gladiators and Choi Min Jeong of the Korean White Tigers, Desmet took the gold, with a well-timed late pass. 

 Santos-Griswold (2) briefly led the high-quality 1500m final before Hanne Desmet (BEL, 4) took gold with a well-timed late pass. © ISU

Santos-Griswold surged to a crucial silver medal, with Fontana third. Stoddard got trapped in the bunch and finished sixth – and with it, her hopes for the title were gone. 

“It was a really nice race, I think maybe the most hectic race of the year,” said Desmet. “There was so much going on, I’m happy to come out on top.”

The Belgian, who picked up a penalty in a 1500m race she thought she had won last weekend in Tilburg, knows that it could have been her title. 

“I was fast last week, so it sucked to have that one taken away, but I just need to be a bit more careful,” she said. 

“Sometimes, I don’t really know what my actions are going to amount to, but it is Short Track and you have to fight for it. So I do want to take those risks. But this was a really nice fight. 

“I am happy with my progress though the season, I feel a lot stronger than I did at the start of the season, so I’m excited about that. I’m confident for the World Championships.”

 Desmet, centre, leaves Milan full of confidence for the World Championships. Veteran Arianna Fontana (ITA) won bronze behind Santos-Griswold. © ISU

Stoddard reflected on what might have been. “I got stuck,” she admitted. “I felt really good in the race, but there was a lot of bumping and grinding and I ended up at the back. Everyone was going for it, and I didn’t get the points I wanted.” 

New Champion Santos-Griswold – ‘It’s really special’

For Santos-Griswold, though, it meant just getting through one more race – the 500m, to get her hands on the Globe. 

And she did it in style. After looking confident in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the USA Eagle played the A final to perfection.

She held off Fontana (silver) and Velzeboer (bronze) to get to the line first and let out a huge cry of relief and joy.

“Being in the mix for every distance has been my goal for four plus years, to give me the maximum chances,” she said. “To come out on top in the 500m, which is typically my least favourite distance, makes it that bit more special.

“I was nervous but confident this morning. I didn’t want to go into today feeling like there was a possibility I’d lose the Crystal Globe. 

“I didn’t want to have a ‘fighting to not lose’ mindset. At this point, I wanted to think it was not mine to lose, it was mine to gain. That helped a lot.”

 Santos-Griswold has worked hard to be competitive at all four distances and her resilience has paid off with the ISU Crystal Globe triumph. © ISU

It’s been a long journey over the last few years. “I struggled with whether I wanted to keep pursuing the sport or not after Beijing,” she said. 

“It’s a mentally challenging sport and there are a lot of ups and downs. But I enjoy the sport, I enjoy training every day.

“I enjoy being with my teammates, all of it. It still has its challenges and I still struggle with them. 

“So to do this is really special. My family is here, so we will go and have some pizza and pasta to celebrate.”

Italy’s most-decorated Winter Olympian Fontana, meanwhile, was happy with her weekend’s work – and is getting good vibes about what could be her fifth Olympic Winter Games next year. She looked close to her best as she raced to silver in the 500m and bronze in the 1500m.

 Fontana also joined Santos-Griswold on the podium for the 500m. Xandra Velzeboer (NED, right) took bronze to pip Corinne Stoddard (USA) to second place overall. © ISU

“I’m really happy,” she said. “I’ve started to feel a bit better, compared to the first part of the season. It’s paying off. 

“Kristen is amazing, she is such a hard worker. I am very happy for her. And the crowd is amazing. I have my family here, who have made big [paper] heads of my face. I was trying to not laugh at that and stay focused. 

“Today you can feel the emotion and the passion. We can look forward to the Olympics here.”

The athletes now prepare for the conclusion of the season: the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Beijing, China, from March 14 to 16.

Women’s ISU Crystal Globe - final standings  

Kristen Santos-Griswold - 1120

Xandra Velzeboer - 950

Corinne Stoddard - 948

About the ISU Short Track World Tour: Feel the Rush!

The ISU Short Track World Tour is a global series of six elite Short Track ice skating events, spanning across North America, Asia and Europe. With a focus on engaging fans in a brand-new dynamic and entertaining event experience through vibrant competitions, the ISU Short Track World Tour aims to elevate the sport and bring its explosive excitement to a worldwide audience.

With each race, skaters aim for the ultimate prize — the Crystal Globe—awarded to the top male and female skater who accumulate the most points throughout the Short Track World Tour. This is where the world’s best Short Track skaters meet to thrill audiences and Feel the Rush!