Speed ​​Skating - Final CdM in Heerenveen
Getty Images
The last act of the season Essent ISU World Cup is coming. Over the weekend (14-16 March), will be assigned the titles of speed skating in the 2014 season. A Heerenveen is held for the second consecutive year the Grand Final of the Cup. In the "Mecca" of ice skating, the Thialf Arena, the best skaters this season (almost complete) will contest the final points for Cups and specialty general. It promises to be a feast for the United States, still shaken by the depressing results of Sochi 2014 that will bring home the Cup with general Shani Davis and Heather Richardson. Good numerical presence of Italian skaters. Mirko Nenzi will be engaged on the three shorter distances. To him were added last weekend Bosa David, Andrea Giovannini and Francesca Lollobrigida.
Thursday 13 March 2014 10 minutes reading time
So will race the 20 top finishers in the season and in the 500-1,000 1,500 meters. 16 for 3000 and 5000, and 20 in the Mass Start. Also engaged all the winners of the last races of Division B. In addition to the individual events, the "menu" also includes the four best teams in the Team Pursuit. A total of 65 men and 57 women from 16 different nations. Poorly only Asians. The whole teams of China and Korea have decided not to deal with the latest European away games of the World Cup between Inzell and Heerenveen.
But no one is better than the Dutch. The team oranje, both male and female, will want to put on a show in front of a sold-out stadium allegedly by supporters in orange. Without Sven Kramer (recovering from an operation to the respiratory system), the battery of possible characters is almost complete. Tasks will damper the United States, arriving eight podiums in three days of Inzell. And as admitted by Brian Hansen, one of the winners in Bavaria, the team came back from Sochi many questions and few answers to explain the failure. They will try to take over the role of the protagonists of the blades on the long track. There will be teams from China and South Korea So we will not see the work announced protagonists of speed as the Olympic champions in the 500 and 1000 Lee Sang-Hwa and Hong Zhang. Among men, even of the sixteenth-century forfeit pure Mo Tae-Bum and Joji Kato.
By focusing on the overall World Cup, the current leaders are Shani Davis and Heather Richardson. The two Americans, unless unforeseen disruptions, have very serious chance to take the place of Jorrit Bergsma and Ireen Wüst (champions in 2013). In the men, the only ones who are mathematically overtake the reach Koen Verweij and Brian Hansen, respectively 29 and 37 points away from the leader. Among women, the numbers still retain faint hopes for sun Ireen Wüst, Brittany Bowe and Martina Sablikova. In this case, however, the huge advantage of bearer Use (20.5 points over Dutch, second) is more than reassuring.
Good numbers of patrol of the Italian athletes that we see on stage in Heerenveen. Leading the team is blue Mirko James Nenzi, engaged on three race distances. The Venetian will compete in the 500 and 1000 meters, having qualified in law, among the top 20 in the ranking. In 1500 he qualified last chance available, winning the race of Division B.
In the 500 meters, however, will be two Italians in the race. About David Bosa, who surprisingly, has secured participate in the Finals with the same method of qualification in 1500 for Nenzi: success in Inzell in group B.
Spotlight also Andrea Giovannini, who will be the blue ensign of the Mass Start. The Trentino region will be one of 20 competitors at the start, including four in the Netherlands. In the women, however, the only Italian skater who has earned the right of the Finals is Francesca Lollobrigida. The Roman descend on the ice for the Mass Start Women's race in which she approached the podium and very on Sunday in Germany.
The current situation outline of the fight for the Cup in each distance:
500 meters
Men. Battle whole family, including twins Ronald and Michel Mulder of the Netherlands. Divide them only 66 points, and there being available a maximum of 150 (divided into two sets), overtaking could happen, though hardly probable.
Women. Current leader is the Korean Lee Sang-Hwa with 700 points. Its absence in Heerenveen crown almost certainly one of Richardson (690) and Fatkulina (660).
1,000 meters
Men. Already mathematically assigned the iris at Davis. A Inzell, the American was able to celebrate his sixth career title on the distance. Unbridgeable gap of the second, Michel Mulder to 210 points from the new champion over the distance.
Women. Fighting for the title of all-American specialties. Richardson (480 points) is in front of Bowe (410).
1500 m
Men. It is the challenge more uncertain. Today, Shani Davis leads with 326 points, ahead of Dutchman Koen Verweij (320). But it could also join the fight Zbigniew Bródka the Olympic champion, third at 281.
Women. Ireen Wüst is leading the list with 380 points, thanks to its four wins this season. A 66 follows Brittany Bowe and 70 Lotte van Beek.
3000/5000 meters
Women. Martina Sablikova is leading to + 80 Claudia Pechstein. If the Czech had to get in the top four ranked, will continue his streak of success that has lasted continuously since 2007.
5000/10000 meters
Men. Without Sven Kramer and Lee Seung-Hoon, the Dutch Jorrit Bergsma you have to "look" from fourth place in the ranking onwards. The Norwegian Pedersen, German Beckert and de Jong Oranje are the only ones who could overcome it. But their postings start from 125 points to Pedersen and the title seems a formality.
Mass Start
Men. The Dutchman Arjan Stroetinga won the only test of the year, which took place last weekend. The competitors will certainly be the leader Bart Swings and Bob de Vries, on the podium with him in Inzell. But the fight is wide open to anyone.
Women. Claudia Pechstein of Germany is the leader. Beware of the possibility Italian Francesca Lollobrigida. The blue, fifth in Inzell, has the opportunity to pounce on his head. Obviously, however, should hope for placings in favor of the enemy.
Team Pursuit
Cup leader is without question the Netherlands. Men and women will not have trouble keeping their large benefits. Only danger is to find a "zero" in the partial ranking. In any other case, just finish the test to make sure the booty minimum (90 points).
The calendar and the Italians in the race in the first day of competition (Friday 14th) Finals. Races visible streaming from the channel at the link Isu http://livemanager.eurovision.edgesuite.net/isu/site/index.html
16:15 1500m women
Hours 17:12 1000m men (Nenzi)
18:05 Mass Start Women (Lollobrigida)
18:20 Mass Start Men (Giovannini)
Social media engagement
Ultimi in Sport invernali
Sofia Goggia ha accusato un malore in Argentina: è già rientrata in Italia per accertamenti
Come ha comunicato questa sera la FISI, la fuoriclasse bergamasca ha concluso anticipatamente il camp sudamericano a causa di un malore durante la sua permanenza a Ushuaia e d'accordo con il dottor Panzeri ha deciso di tornare a casa.
2