Inline Speed Skating Worlds: great show in a crowdy track

Speed

01 July 2018

We've got the sun and the music, crowdy grandstands and great competitions: this is Inline Speed Skating!

Head-to-head races and true champions putting their hearts into the skates to be, once again or for the very first time, on the top of the world: it was an amazing afternoon in Heerde for the 2018 edition of the Worlds.

The Junior Women 10.000mt Elimination/Points was the first final of the day: Colombia got the first two medals thanks to Maria Renteria Rodriguez and Nathalia Bermudez Padilla, bronze for Corinne Stoddard (USA). An accident occured at 45 laps to go and the Italian Edda Paluzzi had to leave the track: fortunately nothing really serious.

Gold - Maria Renteria Rodriguez - COLOMBIA
Silver - Nathalia Bermudez Padilla - COLOMBIA
Bronze - Corinne Stoddard - USA

It was the turn of the Junior Men 10.000mt Elimination/Points: Jason Suttels (Belgium) ruled without any esitation all the competition. The fight was all about the other 2 steps of the podium with Michael Gatti from Italy having the better off the two Colombians thanks to one point more. Brayan Virguez Romero won the bronze medal for 6 seconds.

Gold - Jason Suttels - BELGIUM
Silver - Michael Gatti - ITALY
Bronze - Brayan Virguez Romero - COLOMBIA

In the long distance races of the Senior categories, well known duels have been staged again.Johana Viveros and Fabriana Arias, both from Colombia got Gold and Bronze and the Silver went to the Chinese Dan Guo in the 15.000mt Elimination Senior Women. Francesca Lollobrigida, representing Italy, has been eliminated at the last lap to go.

Gold - Johana Viveros - COLOMBIA
Silver - Dan Guo - CHINA
Bronze - Brayan Virguez Romero - COLOMBIA

In the 15.000mt Elimination Senior Men, Alex Cujavante from Colombia, defended the title against Daniel Niero - Italy. Only bronze for Bart "Swings on the wings".

Gold - Alex Cujavante - COLOMBIA
Silver - Daniel Niero - ITALY
Bronze - Bart Swings - BELGIUM

The 500mt+D were the first races for the YOG qualification and, of course, the motivation of the athletes were so high: all of them want to get the "Ticket to Buenos Aires" and the 24 athletes will be ranked after the 1.000mt and 5.000E.

On the starting line for the Junior Ladies: Anais Pedroni - Italy, Allison Correa Muneton - Colombia, Yue-Cih Peng - Chinese Taipei and Honorine Barrault from France.

Anais Pedroni had a great start leading the group for half the race, but was unable to keep it and arrived third after Muneton: Gold Medal went to Peng.

Gold - Yue-Cih Peng - CHINESE TAIPEI
Silver - Allison Correa Muneton - COLOMBIA
Bronze - Anais Pedroni - ITALY

On the starting line for the Junior Men: from Korea, Woonggyu Choi and Jonjiin Cheon, Sabien Tinson - USA, and the Colombian Juan Arango.

Gold - Juan Arango - COLOMBIA
Silver - Jonjiin Cheon - KOREA
Bronze - Woonggyu Choi - KOREA

The 1.000mt for the senior categories closed the first day in Heerde. The Ladies fought hard to reach the podium in a tough race that got the public really excited and was finally won by Mareike Thum, followed by Yseul An and Vanessa Hertzog. Nothing to do for the "big": Francesca Lollobrigida has been disqualified for a fault, and the Colombian champions Arias and Escobar didn't reach the medal area.

Gold - Mareike Thum - GERMANY
Silver - Yseul An - KOREA
Bronze - Vanessa Hertzog - AUSTRIA

Last but not the least, it was the turn of the Senior Men 1.000mt: one of the most competitive races of the Worlds and, with athletes the likes of Pedro Causil, Andres Munoz, Peter Michael and Bart Swings, the expectations were very high. And they were not disappointed! "Four dogs" strove for a bone and a fifth run away with the "Gold": Gwendal Le Lepivert took advantage of the fight and the "la Marseillaise" played for him. Causil and Munoz got, respectively, Silver and Bronz. Bart Swings has been disquailified and Peter Michael got only the 7th place.