Speed SkatingShort Track - Euro 2014
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Definitely could have been better and more fortunate Europeans Italy short track. Premetterlo While it is good: you could not wait for a domain blue with the Winter Olympics at the door. And the blue contingent in Sochi will be sizable and still in full load for the Games in Russia, at the start of 18 days. But one thing is certain: after the bronze medal won in the overall standings, the blue Arianna Fontana is ready for battle. As well as the entire Italian team will want to redeem themselves: the state will be at the top and there will be (possibly) questionable and unfavorable decisions by the judges.
Sunday 19 January 2014 14 minutes reading time
The last pre-Olympic event, the European Championships in Dresden, ended with little satisfaction and a few complaints too. The blue team would like to thank the Fountain, the only athlete able to pick up the flag on the podium in a competition to always forge metal for Italy. The 23 year-old Valtellina wins a valuable bronze medal in the overall standings after Saturday won individual gold in the 500. A new metal came after falls, suspensions and damage which affected the search for a title that would have confirmed that of 2013. However, there is a curiosity that could be auspicious for the champion Valtellina: 2008 to 2013 he missed the continental title only in 2010, the year in which Vancouver has found its first individual Olympic medal. A part of the conjunction is then repeated in 2014. To wait for the verdict from Sochi, there will be a few days of waiting.
The last afternoon of racing Verbund Energie Arena in Dresden does not give other joys of Italy's short track skating. Two medals wooden men: one with Yuri Confortola and the other with the relay (Confortola, Viscardi, Dotti, Lobello). The expert skater Tirano wins a high placing in the 1000m individual, confirming that it is ready for the Olympic Games. The last act of the three-day European Championship short track relay closes with both Italian off the podium, as well as it did a year ago in Sweden, not without controversy for decisions (missed) by the judges.
The titles of the overall standings see two rookies "golden". Among women, can celebrate after a silver and a bronze in his career, the Dutch Jorien ter Mors. The stronger European proves to be the phenomenal Russian (but Korean by birth and passport until 2010) Victor An.
The first and only race with individual medals in today's program, 1,000 women were definitely to forget for the blue. Only champion Arianna Fontana passes the preliminary and semi-final to her and proves to be the woman to beat. Then, the penultimate act, the Valtellina is forced to abdicate due to a disqualification imposed by the courts for a pass that would hurt an opponent, forcing her outside. The blue star was at the time in second place, with wide margins of safety for access to the final. The disqualification dell'azzurra leads the advance of the Russian Borodulina and a "zero" in the overall standings heavy in key European title. The victory of the 1000 goes to the British Christie, ahead of Dutch ter Mors and right at Borodulina.
Harm the other two Italian: Lucia Peretti out in the first round and Martina Valcepina, when both could have the potential to move forward. The first is eliminated from emerging Maliszewska (more experienced Polish) and Konya (Hungarian class 1995 bronze Friday in 1500). The second was preceded by the listed French and Lithuanian Serekaite Pierron.
Yuri Confortola sails the course and net comes fourth in the final of the 1000. Important result because at the same time assured him a place in the next "Super Final" of 3000. The silver on the distance in 2007 and in 2009, he qualified as first in his semi-final, where they go out of the game as the Dutch skaters illustrious Sjinkie Knegt (champion) and Thibaut FAUCONNET. The financier of Tirano, however, is unable to get into the fight for the medals all badged Russia. The last round if he wins ahead of compatriots Victor An Elistratov and Grigorev. In the race, the blue tries to recover in the last meters, but there comes a little less than one-tenth of the bronze medal, a metal that individual had won a year ago the European Championship 2013 in Malmö. Out of everyone in the quarterfinals, however, his two teammates Tommaso Dotti and Anthony Lobello. Both as seconds pass their batteries, but are eliminated in the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for the Italian-American, the last in his series, dominated by An and FAUCONNET quoted. Last ousted and also Dotti, running for much of the race, yields positions in convulsive last three laps, when he was juggling very well.
The Superfinal female to 8, decisive (in theory) for the award of the title, saw a prologue to the unpredictable ter Mors firmly at the top spot with 20 points ahead. So, with the Fountain almost mathematically out of the fight to gold, the leitmotif of the last act was all concentrated in the duel with Christie (second overall). After the start, in fact, the leader did not leave room for other competitors, because ter Mors took the lead from the first to the last meter without selling it to dominate over two-thirds of the race. The fight Christie-Fontana for second place (both in 3000, but especially for the silver in the overall standings). He won celebrate English, which confirms the general silver after 2013, but a year ago in Sweden the Valtellina had preceded on the podium.
Super Final in 9 men (allowed three ex aequo eighth Confortola Lapape and Putikis), with the rest of the skaters accompanied by three Russians and a similar Dutch. Vince Victor An, thus sealing his gold debut. The Korean naturalized Russian puts on a show with a victory which establishes its first European title after the change of nationality. The Super Final sees shields the Dutch Knegt, Kerstholt (seondi and third parties) and Confortola, great quarter. The blue fight for every 3000 meters with the strongest. The European bicampione Knegt wins in extremis points that allow him to get on the podium overall is third behind the unrivaled An and Elistratov.
The brackets are unpredictable in the short track. And so, the forecast does not reward expectations, on paper always rosy for the Italian quartet. Unfortunately for the girls favored blue (Fontana, Valcepina, Peretti and Viviani), forced to close on the fifth and last place in their race. The result weighs action very doubtful Dutchman ter Mors Fountain, when the Netherlands and Italy were in full fight for the gold. The Dutch widens the leg by dropping the blue, contact deemed lawful by the race officials. At that point, however, the Italian will not have the margin to recover the other teams. Vince Holland (ter Mors, van Kherkof Y., S. van Kerkhof, van Ruijven) in front of Great Britain and Hungary. The men's relay (Confortola, Viscardi, Dotti, Lobello) equal to half of the race fighting with armored Russia (gold) and the Netherlands (silver), but then fails to connect with the bronze medal went to hosts Germany. The Germans rejoice in finding their own against the Azzurri their first and only podium of the European Championships household.
Below are the top positions of the rankings apply to the award of the title of general European interest in the light of the scores awarded after the three individual events (500, 1000 and 1500m):
OVERALL WOMEN
1. Jorien TER MORS (Ola) 107 points
2. Elise Christie (Gbr) 63
3. Arianna FONTANA (Ita) 52
4. Bernadett HEIDUM (Ung) 37
5. Tatiana Borodulina (Rus) 37
6. Zsofya KONYA (Ung) 15
7. Martina VALCEPINA (Ita) 13
8. Yara van Kerkhof (Ola)
.....
20. Lucia PERETTI (Ita)
OVERALL MEN
1. Victor AN (Rus) 102 points
2. Semen ELISTRATOV (Rus) 60
3. Sjinkie KNEGT (Ola) 44
4. Niels Kerstholt (Ola) 34
5. Vladimir GRIGOREV (Rus) 26
6. Freek VAN DER WART (Ola) 19
7. Yuri CONFORTOLA (Ita) 16
8. Sebastien LEPAPE (Fra) 11
.....
10. Anthony LoBello (Eng) 5
17. Thomas DOTTI (Ita)
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