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Mirrored to SpeedSkating Santa Barbara from
ASU/ USA
WORLD SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
NAGANO, JAPAN, 28-30 MARCH 1997
by Haj Sano
<76520.2056@compuserve.com>
ICASU Reporter-At-Large
(Including Selected Results & Standings)
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NAGANO, JAPAN (31 March 1997)-- Nagano was the site of the 1997 World Short
Track Speedskating Championships for Ladies and Men. Nagano-shi (Nagano City),
population 360,000, is located in Nagano-ken
(Nagano Prefecture)
near the mountainous area of Japan known as the Japan Alps. Nagano is the site of
the XVIII Olympic Winter Games
to be held in February, 1998.
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Preparing for the 1998 Winter Olympics
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In preparation for the Olympics, Nagano is hosting several pre-Olympic test
events, of which this World Championship was one. Security was extremely tight as
practice for the Olympics. Metal detectors were in place at the entrance to the White
Ring Ice Arena (capacity 7,000), host of the Figure Skating and Short Track competitions
for the Olympics. All athletes, coaches, and staff were issued identification badges that
were bar-scanned at the entrance. Access control to non-spectator areas was extremely
rigid. Japanese culture is very regimented, so the natives were all familiar with following
the rules. Some of the garjin (foreigners) found out that management meant business
when they forgot their credentials at the hotel. Even though it was obvious that they
were competitors (or entire teams), they had to go through repeat badge/identification
formalities.
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Housing will be extremely limited for the Games. All hotel rooms in Nagano City
have been reserved by the NAOC (the organizing committee). This means spectators
must reserve rooms in areas at least one hour away, such as Ueda and Matsumoto.
Spectators are encouraged to contact the JTB
(Japan Travel Bureau) branch
in their nearest major city.
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The infrastructure will be bursting at the seams. With regular traffic, the roads
were frequently grid-locked. They will most likely close the
roads to private vehicles during the Olympic Games to keep traffic
manageable. That will be a relief to most foreigners who can't read the road
signs and aren't used to driving on the left-hand side of the road. There are
also very few places to park. Train and taxi will be the way to get around.
The Shinkansen train line
from Tokyo to Nagano will open in the fall of 1997. Connecting flights from Osaka-
Kinsai (KIX) to Matsumoto (MMJ) (40 minutes from Nagano by expressway) are available.
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From $60 Per Night... If You Speak Japanese
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It will be an expensive Olympics for spectators. The host Hotel Kokusai 21 has a
room rate of around 13,000-15,000¥. (At a rate of 120¥ per US $, that comes to about
$100-$150 per night.) That's typical of Western-style hotels. More basic
accommodations are available at about 7,000¥ (about $60 per night), but knowledge of
basic Japanese is essential at these places. Food is expensive and the portions are small
by Western standards.
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For those who make the journey, it will be a very memorable Olympics. The
Japanese are world-famous for their hospitality. Your are a guest in their country, and
they will make you feel extremely welcome. (Australian speedskater Janet Daly's
parents were practically adopted by a Japanese family.) Just be prepared to go with the
flow and leave your expectations of Western standards at home. Japanese standards are
different, not higher or lower.
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Speedskating Notables in Attendance
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Speedskating notables were in attendance at the 1997 World Short Track
Championships. Tatsuyoshi Ishihara was a competition official. Olympic Gold
Medalist Bonnie Blair was commenting for the ABC network. (Some readers may
remember that Bonnie Blair is a former Short Track World Champion.)
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Many thanks to Marcel LaCroix, Canadian Coach, and Jean Dupré, Canadian
Team Leader and Executive Director of CASSA. They provided me with guest
credentials in exchange for interpreting and video services. It was a pleasure working with
the entire Canadian delegation, including skaters and staff. They are a professional and
fun-loving bunch.
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Ladies' 1500 Meters: USA's Porter Injured in Semis; Koreans Take Final
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Won Hye-Kyung (ROK) attacked with 6 laps to go, but couldn't hang on as her
teammate defending World Champion Chun Lee-Kyung (ROK) passed her on the outside in the last corner. The two
South Koreans finished 1-2. The younger Yang Yang (S) (CHN) finished third, and a crowd favorite,
Ikue Teshigawara (JPN) finished fourth. (Note: There were two competitors named Yang
Yang. The designation "Yang Yang (A)" refers to "Yang Yang, the elder," while "Yang Yang
(S)" refers to the younger skater.) Erin Porter (USA) broke her ankle in the
semi-final at the apex of a turn, causing her to fall and hit the pads. She
was skating well until she went down. Though in obvious pain, she finished
her laps. Here's to a speedy recovery for Erin.
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Men's 1500 Meters: Gagnon Never Relinquished His Lead
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In a race that he has lead many times in the past only to have someone else take it
away, Defending World Champion Marc Gagnon took command early and never relinquished
the top spot. Two Italians, Orazio Fagone and Mirko Vuillermin,
finished second and third, respectively. Feng Kai (CHN) finished fourth. Junior World
Champion Kim Dong-Sung was disqualified.
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Ladies' 500 Meters: Charest Breaks the 45-Second Barrier; Wang Tries to Violate
the Laws of Physics
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Going into the last corner, three skaters-- Marinella Canclini (ITA) on the inside,
Isabelle Charest (CAN) in the center, and Chunlu Wang (CHN) on the outside-- tried to
violate a basic law of physics by attempting to occupy the same space at the same time.
Wang leaned in on Charest, causing all three to go down. Defending Ladies' World
Champion Yang Yang (A) (CHN), who was in fourth place for the whole race except for
one corner, was the beneficiary first-place finisher. Charest was the first one to get up
from the carnage and finished second. Canclini finished third, while Wang was disqualified.
Earlier in the day, Charest lowered her own world record in the heats by 0.223 seconds,
with a time of 44.867 seconds. Charest is thus the first woman to break the 45-second
barrier.
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Men's 500 Meters: When the Dust Cleared
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The 500m final featured continuous changes in the positions of the leaders, with some
corners seeing a skater move from fourth to first. When the dust cleared, Derrick
Campbell (CAN) won, followed by World Junior Champion Kim Dong-Sung (ROK),
crowd favorite Satoru Terao (JPN), and defending World Champion Marc Gagnon.
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American Andy Gabel skated an inspired quarter-final in this event, making it
to the semis.
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Ladies' 1000 Meters: Yang Yang (A) Out-Lunges Competitors
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Yang Yang (A) (CHN) out-lunged second-place Won Hye-Kyung (ROK) and
third-place Chun Lee-Kyung (ROK) to win the race. Former World Champion Nathalie
Lambert finished fourth.
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Men's 1000 Meters: Controversial Call for Gagnon
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Marc Gagnon (CAN) usually likes to control the race from the front. In this race, he
repeatedly found his way back into the lead whenever he was passed by his competitors.
Several of these passes were spectacular-- "outside-in" moves as he split the two leaders,
passing the first on the outside and the next on the inside to regain the lead position.
Unfortunately, in a controversial call that probably cost him his second consecutive
World Championship and fourth in five years, Gagnon was disqualified for cross-tracking
as he lunged at the finish line. Gagnon was leading Kim Dong-Sung (ROK) and Lee Jun-Hwan
(ROK) as he came out wide in the last corner. He drifted in as he approached the
finish line, but didn't appear to interfere with Kim. Gagnon's blade crossed finish line
less than 2 inches ahead of Kim's. One official indicated Gagnon was clear, but the final
ruling was otherwise.
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Ladies' 3000 Meters: Mad Scramble to the Finish
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In a race that didn't develop until the last 1000 meters, defending World Champion Chun Lee-Kyung (ROK)
took the lead with 8 laps to go, and regained it from team mate Won Hye-Kyung with
four laps to go for the win. The pack scrambled behind them but was unable to penetrate
as Chun skated wide and Won skated tight the last three laps. Yang Yang (A) (CHN)
finished third. Yang Yang (S) (CHN), lunging, spinning, sitting, and finally sliding across
the finish line, finished fourth. Home crowd favorite Ikue Teshigawara (JPN) finished
fourth, followed by Isabelle Charest (CAN) and Marinella Canclini (ITA). First and
seventh were separated by less than 0.8 seconds in the mad scramble to the finish. The
three-point win by Chun over Yang (A) tied her for first overall.
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Men's 3000 Meters: Dong-Sung in Overdrive; Terao in Hot Pursuit
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Lee Jun-Hwan (ROK) attacked four times in the first 1500 meters, trying to wear
down the field. With six laps to go, home boy Terao Satoru, who trains at the Yamabiko
International Skating Center in Okaya about 2 hours south of Nagano, slid out of a corner
as defending World Champion Marc Gagnon (CAN) went by on the outside. Terao's slip was like blood in front of a
shark as the pack picked up the race. Orazio Fagone (ITA) went down in the next corner.
Kim Dong-Sung (ROK), Gagnon, and Feng Kai (CHN) "duked it out" over the next three
laps. Then Terao, who had miraculously recovered from his slip and worked his way
back through the pack, joined the fray with two laps to go. As Gagnon and Feng tangled
momentarily with 1½ laps to go. Kim went into overdrive and blew past them on the
outside with Terao in hot pursuit. Terao worked his way past Feng with one lap to go,
and past Gagnon with a half-lap remaining. Kim celebrated as he crossed the finish line
ahead of Terao (second) and Gagnon (third). Mirko Vuillermin (ITA) finished fourth,
followed by Derrick Campbell (CAN), Feng, and Lee.
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Ladies' 3000 Meter Relay: CAN and ROK, Neck-and-Neck
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Canada and Italy sat on South Korea and Japan in the early going of the ladies'
3000-meter relay final. With 21 laps to go, ROK bulled head and CAN slipped into
second. JPN followed in third as ITA fell slightly off the pace. CAN opened a slight gap
with 14 laps to go but ROK quickly pulled up. At eight laps to go, CAN and ROK really
started to go at each other. When there was minor contact on an exchange with six laps to
go, JPN took advantage to get right back into the fray. CAN and ROK were neck-and-
neck over the last four laps with JPN only half a slip behind. CAN never totally
relinquished the lead they took with 6¼ laps to go, just before the contact, and went on to
win. ROK and JPN finished just behind them, no less than 0.4 seconds behind. ITA
finished fourth.
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The American ladies' relay team had two falls in the semi-final, finishing third
(with a time of 4:41.703), behind Canada (4:28.490) and Italy (4:30.314). The
team did not make it to the finals.
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Men's 5000 Meter Relay: After the Crash, USA Fourth
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ROK and USA set the pace early as CAN and ITA waited at the back. About
half way through the race, the USA fell. ROK, CAN, and ITA picked up the pace. ROK
had opened up a slight gap late in the race with ITA and CAN closing. With less than
five laps to go, CAN made a great pass to move past ITA. In the next corner, ITA tried
to take second back from CAN. It was a very late pass and ITA couldn't hang onto the
coner. ITA went down at the apex, taking down with them both CAN and about-to-be-
lapped USA. After the crash, ROK coasted to an easy victory, followed by CAN, ITA,
and USA.
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Overall: Kim Dong-Sun (ROK) Youngest World Champion
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Both men's and ladies' divisions were really exciting, with the overall outcomes
decided in the 3000 meter finals. In the ladies' division, Yang Yang (A) (CHN) came into
the 3000m with a 3-point lead over Chun Lee-Kyung (ROK). Chun's three-point victory
over Yang (A) in the 3000m tied them for first overall.
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In the men's division, Kim Dong-Sun (ROK) took a 2-point lead over Marc
Gagnon (CAN) going into the 3000m. Kim's victory in this race clinched the overall title.
At 17, this makes him the youngest ever World Short Track Champion, breaking the
previous record held by Marc Gagnon. Marc was 18 when he won his first World
Championships in 1993 at Beijing PRC. Earlier this year, Kim won the Junior World
Short Track Championship at Marquette MI USA.
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Isabelle Charest's sub-45-second peformance in the ladies' 500-meter heats was
the only new world record set at the championships.
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Selected Results and Standings
Final Points:
LADIES:
1500m F (pt) 500m F (pt) 1000m F (pt) 3000m F (pt)
Lee-Kyung Chun ROK 2:29.426 (5) 1:35.463 (2) 5:44.161 (5)
Yang Yang (A) CHN DQ 0:45.946 (5) 1:35.394 (5) 5:44.358 (2)
Hye-Kyung Won ROK 2:29.554 (3) 1:35.461 (3) 5:44.261 (3)
Isabelle Charest CAN 0:52.050 (3)
Yang Yang (S) CHN 2:30.467 (2) 5:44.358 (1)
Marinella Canclini ITA 0:54.374 (2)
Nathalie Lambert CAN 1:36.176 (1)
Ikue Teshigawara JPN 2:32.768 (1)
Yun-Mi Kim ROK 2:59.259 (0)
Chunlu Wang CHN DQ
MEN:
1500m F (pt) 500m F (pt) 1000m F (pt) 3000m F (pt)
Dong-Sung Kim ROK DQ 0:43.557 (3) 1:35.187 (5) 5:14.057 (5)
Marc Gagnon CAN 2:21.322 (5) 0:43.897 (1) DQ 5:14.484 (2)
Satoru Terao JPN 0:43.697 (2) 5:14.353 (3)
Derrick Campbell CAN 0:43.424 (5) 5:15.325 (0)
Orazio Fagone ITA 2:21.617 (3) 5:45.524 (0)
Kai Feng CHN 2:22.171 (1) 1:50.706 (2) 5:15.350 (0)
Jun-Hwan Lee ROK 2:22.539 (0) 1:35.303 (3) 5:16.549 (0)
Mirko Vuillermin ITA 2:22.063 (2) 5:15.091 (1)
Martin Johansson SWE 2:25.993 (0)
American Skaters:
In the ladies' events, individual competitors Julie Goskowicz and Erin Porter
each received 4 seedings points. They were tied for 23rd place out of 27
individual competitors. As noted above, Erin Porter withdrew from
competition after an injury in the 1500m semifinals. In the men's events,
Andy Gabel ranked 11th overall, attaining 16 seeding points. Apolo Ohno
came in tied for 20th (of 35 skaters), attaining 7 seeding points. Individual
performances are given below.
(Note: For heats, quarter-finals, and semi-finals, times and points do not
necessarily represent the same race. Thus, Julie Goskowicz attained 4th
place (1 pt) in the 5th heat of the Ladies 1500m, while Erin Porter attained
2nd place (3 pts) in the 1st heat of the Ladies 1500m event. Similarly, Andy
Gabel attained 4th place in the 2nd 1500m semifinal, while Apolo Ohno
attained 4th place in the 3rd 1500m semi-final.)
LADIES:
1500m H (pts) 1500m S (pts) 500m H (pts) 1000m H (pts)
Julie Goskowicz 2:44.858 (1) 0:46.565 (2) 1:45.018 (1)
Erin Porter 2:34.382 (3) 3:38.854 (1)*
*Injured in event.
MEN:
1500m H (pts) 1500m S (pts) 500m H (pts) 500m Q (pts)
Andy Gabel 2:25.253 (2) 2:25.608 (1) 0:44.149 (3) 0:43.347 (3)
Apolo Ohno 2:30.860 (2) 2:22.709 (1) 0:43.843 (2)
500m S (pts) 1000m H (pts) 1000m Q (pts)
Andy Gabel 0:43.599 (1) 1:35.741 (5) 1:33.639 (1)
Apolo Ohno 1:35.880 (2)
Click to go back to the INDEX
Updated 01-Apr-97 by jeffrey@mit.edu
