Speed ​​Skating - World Cup Sprint 2014
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Sochi 2014 is almost upon us. But before watching the speed skating in size five rings, it is to follow the ultimate test of international importance, to see in action the best on the ice: the World Sprint Nagano, Japan. Take tomorrow, Italian in the early morning, the 45th edition of the Championships speed skating championship reserved for specialists of 500 and 1000 meters that will be measured in two series for each of the two distances. Who has got the best times, the sum of the four sessions, will be the world champion of 2014.
Friday 17 January 2014 8 minutes reading time
The Olympic city (in 1998) Nagano host the World Sprint for the second time: the first had arrived in 2004. While Japan has already previously received four times the show. It's open challenge for groped to oust the two champions Michel Mulder and Heather Richardson.
The Dutchman, 27, second in the overall standings of the World Cup, behind another male star to go: Shani Davis. From the female side, Richardson will attempt an encore after the gold in Salt Lake City 2013. Three Italians engaged Mirko Nenzi, great hope tricolor and possible surprise to hope for a better placement, David Bosa and the only woman in blue, Yvonne Daldossi, under the orders of coach Stephen Donagrandi, the latter returning from a tour de force that last week saw the European Championship in Norway.
The arena "M-Wawe" Nagano will host the 48 athletes (24 women and many men) who specialize in the shorter distances speed skating: 500 and 1000 meters. At the end of the two days Japanese, you will know the names of the two world champions in 2014.
The importance of competition is high. The Championships are on the threshold of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. But the same importance and imminence of the Games, has pushed many of the possible and predictable players to forfeit.
The fight between the men is on paper more uncertain. The distance the most unpredictable in the first half of the season is undoubtedly that of the 500. Out of eight races of the World Cup, in fact, have won seven different athletes. Not participate in the Cup leader of the specialty of the 500, the Korean Tae-Bum Mo. Lacking even the names of top-end like the Japanese Joji Kato, Russian Artem Kuznetsov and American Tucker Fredricks. There will be fierce and the twins Ronald and Michel Mulder, Keiichiro Nagashima (the only victorious twice in the Cup). All pure sprinter, present in Nagano in the viewfinder will put the number 1 rival: Shani Davis. The Olympian has the opportunity to challenge the Dutch duo and Nagashima, to take a world title that is missing since 2009. Attention also to Kjeld Nuis, one of the few to trouble Davis in "his" 1000 meters Kuzin, Kazakh firm in 1000, which could point to the podium.
In the women you see the first lot of the absent. That puts the nell'obbligato Richardson, and delicate at the same time, the role of favorite in order. Among his most credible opponent, Japan's Nao Kodaira and the inevitable and insidious Dutch, led by Margot Boer and Thijsje Oenema. But the role of challenger before the American, is to be assigned to gold in 2012 and silver in 2013, China's Yu Jing: the former world record holder in the 500 has returned from the first part of the season and an uninspiring start recovery after the 2014 Asian Championships favorable. Increasingly fierce Christine Nesbitt, the Olympic 2010 she is the Canadian appointed to bring a medal home, as it has already in a handheld title (2011) and a silver (2012). As anticipated is long and distinguished list of the missing, who have decided to concentrate better on the Olympics. From the phenomenal sprinter and record-woman, the Korean Sang-Hwa Lee (bronze in the World, 2013), the Russian Olga Fatkulina, ending with the absolute surprise of last year, Brittany Bowe. Among the stronger European, there will not be Germany's Jenny Wolf and the Dutch Lotte van Beek and Marrit Leenstra.
What are the real possibilities of the Italians? We'll find out soon. Nenzi, 19th and 21th in his two previous World Cup Sprint, has a good chance to bring the strongest. The second place in the World Cup in Astana in 1000 (first podium of the Seniors) has a candidate for a permanent place among the elite of speed skating: it lacks a heavy medal to complete. A prestigious placement, is in fact the scope of the Venetian. A Nagano will find that continuity of performance at the highest level that has so far failed to fully show. David Bosa, a rookie, and Yvonne Daldossi (according to experience) will try above all to gain experience in key Olympic, where both will run the 500 meters. The minimum target mainly young skater of 21 years, is to improve the performance of the World Cup in 2013 and 2011 (in which he was "cut" before the last race and second series of 1000), and dispose of the disappointment suffered at ' Universiade 2013, where he saw the gold fade in the 500 for a fall.
Below is the full schedule with the schedules of the Italian World Championships Sprint.
Saturday, January 18
(Aired live on Rai Sport 2 from 6. Streamed, direct canal link http://livemanager.eurovision.edgesuite.net/isu/site/index.html to Isu)
6:00 500m Women
Hours 6:44 500m men
Hours 7:35 1000m Women
Hours 8:25 1000m Men
Sunday, January 19
6:30 500m Women
Hours 7:21 500m men
Hours 8:12 1000m Women
Hours 9:09 1000m Men
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