World records, sprint battles and spectacular 5000m Points races marked the opening day of Racing competition at the ASU26 World Skate Games in Asunción.
The first day of Racing competition got underway today on the track in Asunción.
The athletes had faced some challenges in the days leading up to the competition, with weather conditions limiting the opportunity to properly test the track. Today, however, the races could finally get underway smoothly, giving athletes the chance to experience the track in full competition conditions.
The morning started with the qualifying rounds of the 5000m Points and the 200m Dual Time Trial, across both Junior and Senior categories. For many athletes, these first races were an opportunity to break the ice, get into race rhythm and become even more familiar with the track, especially its flat corners.
One of the main challenges throughout the day was the wind, which remained quite strong for most of the competition. This was an important factor to consider, particularly in the longer-distance races, where wind conditions can have a significant impact on pace, positioning and race tactics.
The first day immediately delivered some outstanding performances, with two World Records set in the Senior 200m Dual Time Trial qualifying rounds. El Salvador's Ivonne Nochez Gallardo clocked 18.389 in the women's event, while Colombia's Santiago Vasquez set a new men's World Record with 17.108.
But the day was not only about sprinting. The 5000m Points races delivered some of the most intense racing of the day, with constant attacks, tactical battles and decisive moves in the final laps.
JUNIOR WOMEN
200m DUAL TIME TRIAL
Sofia Paola Chiumiento once again proved to be the athlete to beat in the junior sprint. The Italian delivered an outstanding performance to take the gold medal, recording a time that came remarkably close to the level of the senior world title.
Chiumiento confirmed her status as one of the leading junior sprinters on the international scene with another impressive performance.
Results
- Sofia Paola Chiumiento – Italy – 18.450
- Mariana Ambuila Reinoso – Colombia – 18.617
- Gisell Caicedo – Colombia – 18.623
5000m POINTS
An unstoppable Mariana Imitola Vasquez dominated the Junior Women's 5000m Points, collecting points from the very beginning to the final laps. The Colombian even managed to take the points in the final laps on her own, finishing with an impressive 33 points.
Her rivals could only fight for the remaining podium places. Teammate Manuela Rodriguez Torres took silver, while Yeseul Jeon secured bronze, giving Korea its first medal of the competition.
The race was also marked by a major crash involving several skaters. Despite the incident, some of the athletes courageously got back on their skates to complete their World Championship race.
Results
- Mariana Imitola Vasquez – Colombia – 33 points
- Manuela Rodriguez Torres – Colombia – 12 points
- Yeseul Jeon – Korea – 6 points
JUNIOR MEN
200m DUAL TIME TRIAL
The junior men's sprint title went to Emanuel Ramos Mosquera of Colombia.
India's Anirudhan Vinod claimed the silver medal, while Wei-Ning Chuang of Chinese Taipei completed the podium.
Results
- Emanuel Ramos Mosquera – Colombia – 17.615
- Anirudhan Vinod – India – 17.658
- Wei-Ning Chuang – Chinese Taipei – 17.718
5000m POINTS
An unpredictable race among the Junior Men was decided only in the final laps. Cheng-Yu Pan made his decisive move at the right moment, collecting the crucial points that allowed him to take the gold medal for Chinese Taipei.
Johan Poildessous finished just one point behind, taking silver after remaining in contention until the very end.
Joaquin Loyola Cavalieri completed the podium for Ecuador. His consistent point-scoring throughout the race earned him 10 points and the bronze medal.
Results
- Cheng-Yu Pan – Chinese Taipei – 14 points
- Johan Poildessous – France – 13 points
- Joaquin Loyola Cavalieri – Ecuador – 10 points
SENIOR WOMEN
200m DUAL TIME TRIAL
The sprint podium once again featured two of the biggest names in women's speed skating: Kollin Castro and Geiny Pajaro.
Castro claimed her third consecutive World Championship title in the 200m Dual Time Trial, while Pajaro took silver to complete a Colombian 1–2.
In qualifying, Ivonne Nochez Gallardo of El Salvador set a new World Record of 18.389, becoming the fastest skater of the morning. In the final, however, she could not reproduce that time and finished third.
Results
- Kollin Castro – Colombia – 18.425
- Geiny Pajaro – Colombia – 18.429
- Ivonne Nochez Gallardo – El Salvador – 18.615
5000m POINTS
The Senior Women's 5000m Points delivered a highly competitive race, with athletes fighting for points throughout the distance. With such a short race, every point mattered.
The most aggressive rider was Gabriela Rueda, who went for gold from the start. The Colombian secured the title that was still missing from her collection of major distance titles.
She finished just one point ahead of Chile's Camila Carreño, whose tactical approach allowed her to collect the points that mattered most. Corinne Stoddard of the United States completed the podium after another smart and consistent race.
Results
- Gabriela Rueda – Colombia – 11 points
- Camila Carreño – Chile – 10 points
- Corinne Stoddard – USA – 9 points
SENIOR MEN
200m DUAL TIME TRIAL
The men's 200m Dual Time Trial also produced a new World Record in qualifying. Santiago Vasquez of Colombia stopped the clock at 17.108, setting a new world best before going on to win the final in 17.133.
Spain's Jhoan Guzman took silver, while the bronze medal required an additional skate-off between Colombia's Jhon Tascon Holguin and Jacob Melton of the USA.
Tascon Holguin won the extra run to take bronze.
Results
- Santiago Vasquez – Colombia – 17.133
- Jhoan Guzman – Spain – 17.215
- Jhon Tascon Holguin – Colombia – 17.287
5000m POINTS
The Senior Men's 5000m Points was a fiercely contested race from beginning to end. Constant attacks kept the pace high, and only the strongest — both physically and tactically — were able to stay in contention through the exhausting final laps.
Hugo Morin made the decisive move at the right moment, taking the points in the final sprint and finishing with 14 points to claim the gold medal.
The ever-consistent, at his World Championships n.22, Patxi Peula of Spain took silver, while Chia-Cheng Tseng of Chinese Taipei completed the podium.
For Morin, the victory is his first World Championship title after coming close in previous editions.
Results
- Hugo Morin – France – 14 points
- Patxi Peula – Spain – 12 points
- Chia-Cheng Tseng – Chinese Taipei – 10 points
The Racing competition continues tomorrow with the 500m + D and 10,000m Elimination events.