Canada secured the Team Pursuit World Cup Trophy with their first gold medal of the season after two silvers in Salt Lake City and Calgary. At the Hamar Vikingskipet, Isabelle Weidemann, Valérie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin pipped USA to the line by a 0.09s margin. Japan took bronze. 

Yukino Yoshida (JPN) won her first gold medal of the season in the 500m in the absence of World Cup leader Femke Kok (NED), while Bente Kerkhoff (NED) seized her career first victory after a solo breakaway in the Mass Start. 

Canada back on track to defend Olympic Team Pursuit title

Canada had come second twice at the first two Team Pursuit races of the season in Salt Lake City and Calgary, where Japan and the Netherlands had been faster.

In Hamar, Weidemann, Maltais and Blondin faced USA (Brittany Bowe, Mia Manganello, Giorgia Birkeland) in the penultimate pairing, with the Netherlands and Japan yet to come in the final heat.

USA started faster and led throughout the race, but Weidemann anchored Canada to a strong last lap, in which the Olympic Champions managed to turn a 0.02s deficit into a 0.09s lead at the finish line.

“I knew that we were behind," Weidemann said. “Our start was slow. I slipped off the start, and then we were chasing the whole time. 

“Sometimes I could see the other team (USA), so I knew they were a little ahead of us, but we were just trying to make up the time in the last two laps.”

Canadian trio Ivanie Blondin, Isabelle Weidemann and Valérie Maltais celebrate gold ahead of the USA in silver and Japan in bronze. © ISU

After winning the Olympic Team Pursuit title, Weidemann, Maltais and Blondin had difficulties adapting to the new pushing strategy which helped other teams to improve. Last season, they didn’t podium in the Team Pursuit at all, so Weidemann was just happy to have the train back on track.

“[This season] we put down some really solid performances, two second places and then a first. I think there's just a lot of confidence in the strategy that we're using.” 

Defending the Olympic title is not going to be easy, however.

“There are four or five teams that are really strong and that have the chance to win at the Olympics or be on the podium,” she said.

“The Americans are close, the Dutch are always close, the Japanese are close… We're  trying to put on the pressure a little bit.”

At the bottom of the A Division ranking, there was a fierce fight for the last Olympic quota places. China and Germany managed to join Canada, Japan, USA and the Netherlands to take the first six quota places based on ranking, while Kazakhstan and Belgium set the fastest times of all the teams outside the top six to complete the eight-team field that is likely to compete in Milano Cortina. 

Yoshida seizes 500m gold

After the Team Pursuit dust had settled, Yukino Yoshida (JPN) powered to victory in the 500m. The Japanese sprinter posted the fastest opener of the field in 10.34s, and stopped the clock at 37.65s after completing the full lap.

Yukino Yoshida (JPN) took 500m gold after posting the fastest opener of the day but was critical of her pace after the first 100m. © ISU

Yoshida was self-critical after the race.

“My time was not so good. The first 100m were good, but then I wanted to carry that speed into the lap, but I just couldn’t make the best of it. It’s all very precise,” she said. 

Kaja Ziomek-Nogal (POL) finished 0.18s adrift in second place. Her race experience had been the exact opposite to Yoshida’s.

“I had some problems at the start. I went out to slow and kicked myself after about 70m. I don’t want to think about what if I hadn’t done that. I’m second and that’s fine.”

Ziomek-Nogal overcame a shaky start to the season to pick up two silver medals in Hamar. 

“I feel good because I could prove myself amongst the best skaters. I was fifth and fourth and I had a disqualification because I kicked a track marker at the second World Cup, so I dropped to Division B. It was up and down. I happy to finally be in the place where I am.”

Kim Min-Sun (KOR) took bronze in a photo finish decision after she clocked the same time as Ziomek-Nogal. She was back on the podium for the first time since her silver medal at last season’s World Cup event in Heerenveen.

Kaja Ziomek-Nogal (POL, left) has seen her season come to life with two silvers in Hamar. Kim Min-Sun (KOR, right) settled for bronze after a photo finish. © ISU

“I'm so grateful to be back on the podium. I have a better skating feeling and competition feeling right now, but I think it's not enough yet [to take a medal at the Olympic Games]," she said.

“And, of course, some good skaters were not at the race today.”

Kim was referring to the to absent Dutch trio of Femke Kok, Marrit Fledderus and Jutta Leerdam, as well as the injured Erin Jackson (USA), who did take to the track and complete the race in 41.76s.

Despite her absence, Kok retained the lead in the World Cup ranking, while Yoshida climbed up to second place and Jackson to third.

Kerkhoff takes career first World Cup victory

To conclude the women’s competition at the Hamar World Cup, Bente Kerkhoff (NED) won her career first World Cup race in the fourth Mass Start of the season. The Dutchwoman crossed the line first after a four-lap solo breakaway.

Bente Kerkhoff (NED) won her first World Cup race courtesy of a solo breakaway in the Mass Start. © ISU

“It was a tough race,” she commented. “I countered almost every attack, and then in the end, it’s great to have a gap and being able to finish it off. 

“At the last intermediate sprint, I looked behind and saw that I had quite a gap and then I knew I just had to skate on. It’s tough, but I really wanted to win. Apart from long track, I’m also a marathon skater, so I’ve got the stamina.”

Last week’s winner Marijke Groenewoud (NED) won the bunch sprint behind her teammate to take silver and Ivanie Blondin (CAN) seized bronze. 

“I think there was some mistakes that were made,” Blondin said. “But I just keep learning and building from those. 

“Today, again, it was a completely different race. I thought the Dutch girls were going to simultaneously attack, which they didn't, because the pace was high throughout the entire race.”

Last week's Mass Start winner Marijke Groenewoud (NED, left) won the bunch sprint for silver ahead of Canada's Ivanie Blondin (right). © ISU

Mia Manganello (USA) finished fourth to retain the World Cup lead, with Groenewoud lying in second and Blondin in third place. 

Olympic qualification

The first four World Cups serve as Olympic qualification events. Speed skaters will earn quotas for their National Olympic Committees through the Special Olympic Qualification Classifications (SOQCS). Quotas will be allocated based on the SOQC Points ranking (based on points achieved at specific World Cup events) and the SOQC Times ranking (based on the best times per athlete achieved at specific World Cup events).

The maximum amount of quota places per NOC is nine skaters per gender. The quota places are determined by the SOQCS, and allocated to NOCs, not to individual skaters. There’s also a maximum amount of quota places per NOC in each distance at the Olympic Games.

For details on Olympic Qualification, click here