Mia Manganello (USA) left it late to secure her career first World Cup Trophy on Sunday. 

While her rival Marijke Groenewoud (NED) won the Mass Start bunch sprint confidently, the 36-year-old American World Cup leader managed to retain her top position in the ranking by pipping Ivanie Blondin (CAN) to the line for third place at this season's last World Cup event in Inzell (GER).

Kaja Ziomek-Nogal seized the last 500m gold of the season, with Femke Kok (NED), who had already won the Trophy on Friday, sitting it out. 

To conclude the women's competition at the Max Aicher Arena, the Netherlands won the Team Sprint event to seize the Trophy.

Manganello saves the best for last

The women's Mass Start prizes – both the gold medal and the World Cup Trophy - were decided in a blistering last lap bunch sprint. Groenewoud took the lead and managed to keep the others at a distance, leaving Valérie Maltais (CAN), Blondin and Manganello to battle it out for the remaining podium spots.

Maltais managed to position herself best to take silver and Manganello seemed to drop off the podium, coming out of the last corner in fourth place. The American eventually got the better of Blondin by a few inches at the finish, but she didn’t celebrate immediately.

Coming off the ice and taking off her helmet, Manganello was disappointed at first. 

"I thought I needed to cross the line at least [one place] behind Marika in order to maintain the [World Cup Trophy] lead," she explained.

Only after one of the ISU officials confirmed to her that her third-place finish kept her one point ahead of Groenewoud in the ranking could Manganello smile again.

Mia Manganello (USA) with the Mass Start World Cup Trophy she won by a single point in what is expected to be the final year of her career © ISU 

"To be honest, it was obviously a great relief, but I was OK being second, also just being on the podium is a really great achievement for me. 

"But luckily, I had a really good jab at the line for a third-place finish, it was really close."

After having finished the World Cup in second place last season, Manganello faced an unknown challenge going into the final race as World Cup leader. 

"My entire season so far, it's been a dream to have all these results,” she said.

“It was a different finish for me, leading with one to go. I don't think I've ever been in the lead before. 

“I wasn't really sure what to do today, I had a little bit of nerves, but I think it was really good for me to kind of feel that going into the Olympics. 

“With the weight of that, it's nice to come out on top."

Manganello had planned this to be her last season as a speed skater. Would this success make her reconsider? 

"Maybe we'll play it by ear," she laughed. "But as of now, the plan is to be done, but we'll see.

"I'm 36 and I’d really like to move on with my life. It's difficult as a woman. I know there's a couple of amazing talents in our women's field that have been able to leave, have a family and come back. I don't know if I have that in me to do. 

“So yeah, I feel like I'm about ready to move on."

Marijke Groenewoud (NED) won the final Mass Start of the season by a comfortable distance but could not overhaul Manganello in the ranking © ISU 

Maltais took her second medal of the weekend, coming in second after already having seized 3000m bronze. Her secret in the Mass Start had been patience, she explained.

"It was a slow race, with a lot of small attacks, and I think the pack was really aware,” she said.

“I was trying to be just careful in the peloton and be patient and try to not start the sprint. I was like: hold your horses. Often it's hard for me to be patient."

While Maltais took silver in the final race, by coming fourth Blondin seized third place behind Manganello and Groenewoud in the World Cup ranking. The two Canadian teammates have skated together for years, but the dynamics have changed. While Maltais used to sacrifice her chances for Blondin in the past, now the two race their own races. 

"I think it serves both of us," Maltais explained. 

"At some point I felt that I wanted the podium too, and it's not racing against each other, but we both want the same thing. So we just try to not affect the other one, it's a challenging dynamic here and there, but at the end of the day, it's important to respect each other."

Ziomek-Nogal takes season first win

Kaja Ziomek-Nogal (POL) concluded a rollercoaster World Cup ride by winning her first gold in the 500m this season. 

Finishing in 37.25s, the Polish sprinter was 0.03s slower than she had been in Friday’s first sprint, but it was enough for the victory, as Friday's gold and silver medalists Femke Kok (NED) and Jutta Leerdam (NED) both decided not to skate the final race. 

Kaja Ziomek-Nogal (POL) won her first 500m gold medal of the season and with it secured second place in the World Cup ranking © ISU 

Kok had already secured the World Cup Trophy with her track record win on Friday.

Ziomek-Nogal was happy to finish the season on a high note. 

"It's a good ending to the World Cup season,” she explained.

“I had ups and downs, being disqualified in Calgary, starting in B division and in the end finishing second in the classification. That's really good.

"Of course, the most important race is at the Olympics, but racing like this gives me more confidence for the Games."

Ziomek-Nogal considers Kok, who went through the season undefeated in the 500m, to be the outright favorite in the shortest distance, but other than that, the field is wide open. 

"It's first Femke Kok, and then it's five or six girls. We all get to the podium. Every World Cup there was someone else on the podium, so the Olympics will be pretty interesting."

500m Trophy winner Femke Kok (NED) heads to the Olympic Games as the hot favourite to win gold in the shortest Speed Skating distance © ISU 

Sophie Warmuth (GER) might be a surprise name in the mix for a podium spot at the Olympic Games. The 23-year-old German took her career first medal, finishing second in 37.61.

"Incredible," she said. "I never expected to get my first podium, especially my home country. That's a special moment for me, and I really enjoyed it."

Warmuth made amends for crashing out of Friday's 500m race, but said the spill hadn't affected her racing on Sunday.

"I was not particularly nervous. I've practiced a little on the ice this morning, and I had a lot of support from the German fans, that was special."

The silver medal changed her ambition at the Olympic Games. 

"I'll definitely have more confidence. My goal was maybe top eight, but I adjusted it maybe to top six now."

Sophie Warmuth (GER, left) won her career first medal with silver, Marrit Fledderus (NED, right) taking her third individual podium of the season © ISU 

Marrit Fledderus (NED) was back on the podium in third place, clocking 37.62s. 

It was her third podium finish of the season, and offers some comfort after she failed to qualify for the Olympic Games at the Dutch Olympic trials. 

After some difficult weeks, Fledderus admitted she had managed to regroup for the last World Cup of the season.

"I had a couple of tough weeks, didn’t skate too much, trained a lot. I was a sort of a black hole, a dream that's shattered, especially after this season,” she said.

“I was in the top five in both the 500m and the 1000m, so I am among the best in the world.

"It was tough to get my motivation back for this weekend. I spoke a lot with my family and friends, stayed away from my team mates a bit and talked to my psychologist. 

"It went a little better every day, and I'm glad with how it went this weekend. 

"I got a lot of support from other skaters and people who told me that they wished me well. That really gave me a boost."

Netherlands take Team Sprint Trophy

Together with Isabel Grevelt and Naomi Verkerk (NED), Fledderus finished the World Cup season with gold and a track record time of 1 minute and 25.52s in the Team Sprint. With two wins in two races, the Dutch women also took home the World Cup Trophy. 

Marrit Fledderus, Naomi Verkerk and Isabel Grevelt on their way to a track record and World Cup Trophy for Netherlands in the Team Sprint © ISU 

"I actually really like to skate this event," Fledderus said. "It's different because it's not an Olympic event, but still, it's fun to skate. 

"To finish in a track record means that we really skated well and it's a good stimulus for me."

Canada's Blondin, Carolina Hiller-Donnelly and Bëatrice Lamarche finished second in 1:26.84 and Germany (Katja Franzen, Josephine Heimerl and Anna Ostlender) took bronze in 1:28.45.