SPEED SKATING
Takagi (JPN) wins back-to-back 1500m, but rookie Daleman (NED) is the talk of Beijing
29 Nov 2024
#SpeedSkating
Miho Takagi (JPN) took her second ISU World Cup win of the season in the 1500m, but Angel Daleman (NED) was the one everybody was talking about at the Ice Ribbon in Beijing on Friday. Skating at her second senior World Cup event after last week’s debut in Nagano, the 17-year-old Dutch junior won her career first World Cup medal, taking bronze behind Takagi and Joy Beune (NED). Earlier on Friday Yukino Yoshida (JPN) won gold in the 500m.
Takagi takes gold, Daleman in comfort zone
The 1500m is considered the most difficult distance to pace well in speed skating. After winning back-to back World Cup races in the distance, the latest in a time of 1 minute and 55.07s, the experienced Miho Takagi (JPN) claimed she was still struggling.
Miho Takagi (JPN) won her second 1500m gold of this World Cup season, but claimed she has yet to find the best way to race the distance © ISU
“I’m still looking for the best way to skate the 1500m this season,” Takagi said. “I feel I haven’t been able to quite yet.
“This race I was trying to find out new things and I got an idea [what to improve]. Technically my body movement was not so bad, my main focus should be to keep good speed after the 300m split.”
Takagi, who was 15 when she made her debut at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, had looked at Angel Daleman (NED) in admiration.
“I was young when I skated internationally, but I did not win any medals at that age. She’s much better than I was at 17 years old.”
Daleman finished third in a personal best time of 1:55.41.
She had a different approach to Takagi.
“I’ve got no idea. My plan was to skate fast laps and see where it would get me,” said the Dutch youngster when asked about her race plan.
“I don’t think much, I start and see what happens. I think it’s a feeling you need to have for the 1500m. I’ve skated the 1500m for so long. My first 1500m was probably at age nine, when it still felt like a marathon to me.
“I feel in my comfort zone in the 1500m, I surely think I can even go faster.”
Joy Beune (NED) took silver in 1:55.19, only 0.34s behind Takagi and 0.22s ahead of Daleman. The World Allround Champion also admired her young compatriot’s race.
“It’s really strong for a 17-year-old, but in the end, I just want to be faster,” she said. Beune, it should be said, still holds the Junior World records in the 1000m, 1500m and 3000m.
Joy Beune (NED), left, took silver behind Takagi, but it was Dutch prodigy Angel Daleman, right, who was the talk of Beijing's Ice Ribbon after winning her first senior ISU World Cup medal © ISU
She was happy to finish on the podium and get a little closer to Takagi than last week, even though she had crashed in training on Thursday.
“Of course I had a few mistakes [in my race], but I have be satisfied. There will always be little mistakes. I know how good I skated yesterday, but then I made a mistake and crashed,” she said.
“I had a bit of a backache but I had it treated immediately and this morning I got out of bed well.
“I’m improving every week, I get closer to Takagi every week and I feel that I can even do better.”
Another gold and personal best for Yoshida
In the women’s 500m, Yukino Yoshida (JPN) skated a personal best for the second week in a row to win her career second World Cup race and retain the lead in the 500m ranking. With a time of 37.68s, she shaved 0.06s off the mark she set last week to win the first 500m in Nagano.
“I’m still not getting used to it,” the 21-year-old from Japan said with a smile on her face.
Yukino Yoshida (JPN) retained the lead in the ISU World Cup 500m ranking with her second sprint gold of the season © ISU
Despite leading the World Cup ranking by 27 points, she still did not consider herself to be a top contender in the women’s shortest distance.
“I’m not stable yet,” Yoshida said. “After my win in Nagano, I missed the podium in the second race [in which she finished fourth] last week.
“It still feel as if I’m a challenger in the women’s 500m field.”
Jutta Leerdam (NED) and Dione Voskamp (NED) finished second and third in 37.84s and 37.98s respectively.
Voskamp took her second consecutive World Cup podium, after picking up her first individual silverware last week. For the 27-year-old Dutchwoman, who has been a challenger in the 500m field for years, it felt like a confirmation of her new status as one of the leading skaters.
Dutch skaters Jutta Leerdam, left, and Dione Voskamp, right, joined Yoshida on the podium, Voskamp winning her second individual medal after her first podium last week © ISU
“When you manage once [to win a medal], people say it’s more difficult to do it again, so I’m really happy to show it again today.
“I was not even satisfied with my race but I do end up on the podium. It gives me confidence, I already felt good [going into the World Cup series], but it’s hard to show it every weekend.”
Voskamp skated the fastest opener of the field despite having had a false start to begin with.
“I was really shaking, but in the end my opener was quite OK, 10.37s. You learn a lot from races like these.”
Voskamp climbed to second place in the 500m ranking, surpassing Erin Jackson (USA), who finished sixth in 38.08s and dropped to third place.
Beijing program
The Beijing World Cup will resume with the 1000m for both genders, the women’s 3000m, and the men’s 5000m on Saturday and the Sunday program comprises the second 500m, the Mass Start, and the Team Sprint for both genders.
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
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