By Canadian Press

Canadian women’s pursuit team wins speedskating gold in Utah

Dec 4, 2021 | 6:06 PM

KEARNS, Utah — Canada won gold in the women’s team pursuit on Saturday while American Erin Jackson lost a 500-metre World Cup race for just the second time this season, hesitating after what she thought was a false start.

Ivanie Blondin and Isabelle Weidemann, both from Calgary, and Valerie Maltais of Saguenay, Que., finished first in the pursuit in two minutes 52.412 seconds.

They were about a quarter-second ahead of a Dutch team (2:52.692). Russia was well back in third (2:56.220).

Andzelika Wojcik of Poland won gold in the 500 in 36.775 seconds at the Utah Olympic Oval. Angelina Golikova of Russia was second at 36.786, repeating her finish in Friday’s first 500. Olga Fatkulina of Russia was third at 36.937.

Jackson finished sixth in 37.029. She won the first 500 in an American-record time of 36.809 Friday.

Going Global

P.A.'s Zablocki named to Team Canada for U18 Women's World Championships

21m ago

Election 2024

Birch Hills staff won't share election decision

57m ago

Business and Economy

Investment and development firm that bought Cornerstone acquires South Hill Mall

2h ago

“I had what I think is a bit of a false start, but it wasn’t called back,” she said. “Mentally, when I had that disturbance at the start then I was just kind of scrambling the rest of the race. It just comes down to being able to refocus after something like that.”

Jackson still leads the World Cup standings with 332 points, 36 ahead of Golikova. Jackson swept the 500 races at the season-opening meet in Poland. She earned a split in Norway and again on her home ice in Utah.

Defending Olympic 500 champion Nao Kodaira of Japan was eighth.

American Joey Mantia won the men’s 1,500 with a personal-best time of 1 minute, 41.154 seconds. He came up short of his goal of skating under 1:41.

“I felt a little weird this morning, a little nauseous, just maybe nerves got the best of me because I’ve really been focusing on this 15, especially this one at home,” he said. “I had my eyes on the world record. I could have attacked the second lap a little more aggressively, but without the help from the air pressure, I don’t think the world record was even possible today.”

Zhongyan Ning of China was second at 1:41.386, also a personal best. Thomas Krol of the Netherlands was third and Connor Howe of Canmore, Alta., was sixth.

Mantia came back later to finish 10th in the mass start.

“I was just too tired,” he said. “I couldn’t do anything in the race.”

In the women’s 1,000, Miho Takagi of Japan won in 1:11.834. Jutta Leedram of the Netherlands was second at 1:12.254.

American Brittany Bowe finished third, calling her result “dirty gold.”

“Obviously, not what I had wished for, but a solid race,” she said. “I just didn’t get the speed going on that first lap. Miho had a great race, a great first lap. Jutta also had a great race, so I’ll have to take the third for now, but always going for the gold.”

Bowe and Takagi are tied atop the World Cup standings with 168 points each.

Bart Swings of Belgium, silver medalist at the 2018 Olympics, won the men’s mass start in 7:25.42.

___

With files from The Canadian Press.

More AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

The Associated Press