#SpeedSkating

Miho Takagi (JPN) made it two out of two in Nagano (JPN) on Saturday. After already having won the 1500m on the opening day of the ISU World Cup event on Friday, the Japanese star also seized gold in the 1000m on Saturday. In the 3000m, Ivanie Blondin (CAN) surprised herself and the rest of the competitive field to win her first World Cup gold in a classic distance in five years.

Takagi outpaces Leerdam in last lap

Although Miho Takagi (JPN) was not satisfied with her technique on the crunchy M-Wave ice on Saturday, she managed to keep Jutta Leerdam (NED) 0.36s adrift to finish in a time of one minute and 14.60s. Leerdam’s pair-mate Brittany Bowe (USA) took bronze in 1:15.17.

Miho Takagi (JPN) feels there's plenty of room for improvement despite winning her second medal of this opening ISU World Cup weekend in the 1000m © ISU

“The ice condition was a bit difficult today,” Takagi said. “My biggest challenge at the moment is how to deliver the physical power in my legs to the actual power of the blades on the ice. There’s still room for improvement.”

Leerdam also thought that she still has room for improvement. Flying in late to Nagano from the US after attending the much anticipated boxing match between her boyfriend Jake Paul and heavyweight legend Mike Tyson, Leerdam was happy with her 1000m outing. 

She also had an answer for the critics who said Leerdam was not dedicated to her sport.

“I don’t even listen to it,” she said. “I care about my own happiness, and going there to support my boyfriend, is super important for my overall happiness, and that will help me perform better in the season. That was a super easy decision to go and I would never ever regret it. 

“And even though I did that, look at how [good] I raced.”

Jutta Leerdam (NED) saw her silver medal as a riposte to the critics who questioned her recent trip to the USA to watch boyfriend Jake Paul's boxing match © ISU

Leerdam felt as if she had been rusty in the first 600m, only to get up to steam in the final lap.  

“The opener was not top, the first lap was not top, but the final lap was basically the best lap of my whole race.”

Despite her own analysis, Leerdam did lose time to her rivals in that very last lap. At the 600m split, the Dutchwoman had a faster split than Takagi, who outpaced Leerdam by 0.4s in the final 400m.

Bowe had also been 0.1s faster than Leerdam in the last lap, but the American still felt that the final push was her Achilles’ heel.

“I had a 2.1s drop on the last lap [compared to the penultimate lap], so I would have liked to have been faster on that last lap to about a 1.5s to 1.6s [drop], then we're in the hunt for a gold medal.”

World Record holder Brittany Bowe (USA), right, was happy to be back on the 1000m podium alongside Leerdam and Takagi despite a last-lap drop © ISU

Bowe, who still holds the World Record in the 1000m, set in 2019, has waited a long time to be back in the hunt for silverware. 

“Everyone's here and I'm on the podium, it feels like a couple years since I've been. I was on the podium once last year, but not everyone was there,” she said.

“[This is the] first time in a couple years where I've been satisfied.”

Blondin enjoys Nagano

Before the 1000m, in which Ivanie Blondin (CAN) finished 10th, the versatile Canadian took on compatriot Valérie Maltais in the third pair of the 3000m. The Team Pursuit companions fought a fierce battle, with Blondin coming out on top in a time of 4 minutes and 3.76s.  

“I knew it was a good race,” said Blondin. ”But I didn't think I would win gold, to be quite honest, especially being earlier in the pairs and also seeing who was to come after me, so it was a little bit of a surprise.”

While Blondin was nervously walking in circles on the infield and joking around with Canada coach Remmelt Eldering (NED), all the others bit the dust chasing her time.

Ivanie Blondin (CAN) had a long wait before she could celebrate gold after setting the fastest 3000m time in only the third pairing of the competition © ISU

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) and Joy Beune (NED) came closest, both finishing in 4:04.60s. The Norwegian eventually took silver because she had been 0.004s quicker to the line. 

For Blondin, who has won a ton of silverware in Mass Start and Team Pursuit events, the 3000m win was her first World Cup gold in a classic distance since winning the World Cup 3000m at the same track in 2019.

The M-Wave obviously suits her well. 

“I think it does. Also, my mindset this year, I was a little bit like this last year, joking around constantly, and having fun, and I brought that into this season too, so that helps me a lot.” 

Blondin had also taken advantage of the battle with Maltais. 

“We really pushed each other, especially at the beginning of the race,” she explained. “There was a moment even where she was a little bit ahead of me, after she had just done an inner and I was on the outside, and I let it slip a little bit, but I attacked later on in the race, on one of the inner corners. 

“I think that's what won the race today, just being able to fight through it.”

Beune, in contrast, did not have a pair-mate to push her further. Her race partner, Martina Sáblíková (CZE) was too far behind, but fought back in the final lap. 

Joy Beune (NED) put her bronze medal down to the lack of a pair-mate to push her to a faster time, but was happy with her first 3000m in more than a month © ISU

“I was not super impressed by [Blondin’s] time. She had a nice pair to push her and I basically had to skate alone," Beune stated. 

“All of a sudden [Sáblíková] popped up on the last back-stretch. I though oops, you dare crossing in front of me? But it worked out well, so I had [a draft on] that last back-stretch, but for the biggest part I had to do it alone.”

Beune was happy to take a second bronze after already seizing the same color medal in Friday’s 1500m. She had not been able to qualify for the 3000m due to illness at the Dutch trials three weeks ago, but the federation decided to make an exception and hand her a start anyway.

“I’m happy because I did not really know what to expect. My last 3000m, which was also the first of this season, was in the beginning of October. I miss a little race rhythm, so this weekend is perfect to get more of that.”

Ragne Wiklund (NOR), left, back from illness at the end of last season, took silver by just four-thousandths of a second ahead of Beune, right.  © ISU

Silver medalist Wiklund was also happy to leave her medical problems behind.

“The last part of last season was really tough with influenza and a lot of illness,” said the Norwegian.

“I got used to standing at the starting line and not knowing what to expect, which I don't like. Usually I’m very nervous, but now I was a bit insecure.

“It's good to be back at the start with a healthy body. So now, I just hope to get some good races to get into that flow again.”

Nagano program

After two days of individual action, the Sunday program at the M-Wave features the Team Pursuit, a second 500m, and the Mass Start for both genders. Competition concludes with the Mixed Gender Relay. 

ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series events 2024/25:

Nov 22  - 24, 2024                    Nagano / JPN 

Nov 29 - Dec 01, 2024             Beijing / CHN

Jan 24 - 26, 2025                      Calgary  CAN

Jan 31 - Feb 02, 2025               Milwaukee / USA

Feb 21 - 23, 2025                      Tomaszów Mazowiecki / POL

Feb 28 - Mar 02, 2025           Heerenveen / NED 

Where to watch

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