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Greta Myers (USA) couldn’t believe it when she crossed the line first after a long solo breakaway to seize her career first World Cup podium. China’s Jin Wenjing (CHN) also took her career first podium in second, while Michelle Uhrig (GER) found redemption with bronze after what she thought was a silly disqualification on her part in the 5000m on Friday. Before Myers’ Mass Start triumph, Femke Kok (NED) grabbed 500m gold in her first World Cup race of the season and Canada’s Team Sprint women finished off with the first win for the host nation in the final event of the Calgary World Cup event.

Redemption after breakaway

“I’m so happy that I finally was able to stay on my feet for a full Mass Start finally. It’s been a rough couple of World Cups with unfortunate falls. I fell in Hachinohe [Four Continents Championships], Nagano [World Cup I] and Beijing [World Cup II],” Greta Myers (USA) said with a big smile after collecting gold at her first ever World Cup podium ceremony.

Greta Myers (USA) erupts in joy after her gold-medal run in the women’s Mass Start at ISU World Cup in Calgary. ©ISU

The 20-year-old American escaped from the pack after the first intermediate sprint together with Natalia Jabrzyk (POL), Jin Wenjing (CHN) and Michelle Uhrig (GER).

Going into a breakaway gave her a chance to avoid the risk of yet another crash in the busy pack.

“There was really a great opportunity and I was like: now is the time,” Myers said.

Up until the third and last intermediate sprint, the four women in the breakaway worked together, building up a solid lead over the bunch, where no one really made the effort to chase.

After the last intermediate sprint, Myers left the others behind to conclude with four exhausting solo laps. “I was just thinking: it’s a 5000m with only inner lanes, just skate.

“My coach was in the first corner, yelling time at me, and he started telling me I was 26 seconds up, 27 seconds up, and then I saw the back of the pack, and that was a really fun motivation.”

Women’s Mass Start medalists (left to right): Jin Wenjing (silver, China), Greta Myers (gold, USA) and Michelle Uhrig (bronze, Germany). ©ISU

Myers didn’t manage to actually lap the pack, but she was way too far ahead to get caught and on crossing the line had all the time in the world to celebrate.

“I was ecstatic,” she said.

Behind Myers, Jabrzyk got caught by the pack, while Jin and Uhrig managed to stay ahead for silver and bronze, respectively.

Uhrig found redemption after Friday’s disqualification in the 5000m.

“My tactic was just to go for the first sprint, because I had a DQ in the 5000m,” she said. “I did a Sven Kramer move [Kramer missed out on Olympic 10,000m gold in 2010 because he took the wrong lane after the change-up at the back stretch], taking the inner lane instead of the outer. I guess there was not enough oxygen left in my head. I was so embarrassed. I thought let’s make the best out of this weekend.

“[After we attacked], I thought: ‘OK, they’re not coming. We can really do it. And then we were just us three, and it worked.”

Michelle Uhrig of Germany powers her way to a bronze medal in the women’s Mass Start at ISU World Cup in Calgary. ©ISU

For Uhrig, it was her career second World Cup medal after having won a mass start bronze at the World Cup in Quebec last season.

“It seems like Canada is the country where I can go for medals. I’m really, really happy.”

Marijke Groenewoud (NED), who finished fifth in Calgary, retained the World Cup lead after having won the first two races.

Kok back on top

Femke Kok (NED) had missed the first two World Cups due to a viral infection and had to start in the first pairing of the 500m on Sunday. With a time of 37.07s, the world champion set a bar no one else could subsequently match, but the early start had not been easy.

Femke Kok of the Netherlands races to victory in the women’s 500m at ISU World Cup in Calgary. ©ISU

“I was nervous,” she said. “Normally, you have an idea of what [time] is possible, but now I didn’t. When I crossed the line I thought [37.01] wouldn’t be enough, because my race was far from flawless.

“I didn’t get off the blocks well and on the back-stretch I had to hold back a little because the Chinese girl [Jingziqian Wang] stayed on the outside too long.

“Gerard [coach Gerard van Velde, NED] was a little angry, but it all ended well. I just got back to racing. That’s why there’s still little hiccups. When I race more, I hope to sort that out. I’m really glad that I’m back at this level.”

Women’s 500m medalists (left to right): Andzelika Wójcik (silver, Poland), Femke Kok (gold, Netherlands) Kurumi Inagawa (bronze, Japan). ©ISU

Andzelika Wójcik (POL) finished second in 37.16s, and Kurumi Inagawa (JPN) skated a personal best in 37.24s to seize her first ever World Cup podium in third place.

Wójcik was glad to be back on the ice.

“I couldn’t take part in the European Sprint Championships [in Heerenveen two weeks ago], because I had the flu, so I didn’t know what to expect here,” she said. “I’m really glad I’m back on the podium.”

Silver medalist Andzelika Wójcik of Poland flashes a warm smile after her women’s 500m race at ISU World Cup in Calgary. ©ISU

The 28-year-old sprinter from Lubin retained second place in the World Cup rankings, behind Yukino Yoshida (JPN), who finished fifth with 37.46s in Calgary.

First medal for host nation

Carolina Hiller, Bëatrice Lamarche and Ivanie Blondin (CAN) concluded the women’s competition with gold in the women’s Team Sprint in a time of one minute and 24.90s, seizing the first medal for the host nation at the Calgary World Cup.

“It was a tough weekend,” Blondin said. “The focus is always the World Championships. As a training group, we did two high-altitude camps, and our legs were just not there this weekend.

“We always try to remind ourselves of that, but for sure we would have liked to hit the podium a couple more times this weekend, but it’s very satisfying to do it with the girls.

“I think it was an incredible collective team effort, and that’s what makes it beautiful. We all came together.”

Left to right: Poland's silver medalists, Canada's gold medalists and Kazakhstan’s bronze medalists after the women's Team Sprint. ©ISU

Poland’s Kaja Ziomek-Nogal, Andzelika Wójcik and Karolina Bosiek finished second in 1:26.02, and Kazakhstan’s Kristina Silaeva, Darja Vazhenina and Nadezhda Morozova took third place in 1:26.36.

Poland took the lead in the World Cup ranking, ahead of Canada and Kazakhstan.

World Cup leaders Femke Kok, Suzanne Schulting and Angel Daleman (NED) got disqualified and dropped to sixth place in the standings when they got their order mixed up after Schulting fell and got up straight after the start.

Next stop Milwaukee

Having concluded ISU World Cup III in Calgary, the series resumes at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, USA, next weekend.

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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