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Takagi narrowly wins 1,000 meters, but 17-year-old Daleman continues to amaze (with another bronze)
Miho Takagi won the 1,000 meters at the World Cup races in Beijing, just like a week ago in Nagano, but the surprise in the kilometer was again 17-year-old Angel Daleman, who rode to bronze behind the silver Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong. On Friday, Daleman won her first World Cup medal in the 1,500 meters.
Joy Beune took silver in the 3,000 meters later in the day, despite the inconvenience she experienced from a mosquito on which she choked during the ride.
Bronze Daleman again
A day after her stunt with the bronze in the mile, Daleman set another personal record. With a first full lap of 27.4 in her race, she remained close to Olympic champion Takagi (1.14.62), which led to 1.14.91. It was enough for the bronze at 0.01 seconds.
Rijpma-de Jong had already ridden an excellent kilometer before that direct fight between Takagi and Daleman. In a direct duel with Suzanne Schulting (ninth), she rode to silver (1.14.72) thanks to an excellent final lap of 29.0.
She was only a tenth behind winner Takagi. “I’m super close, so that gives confidence for the rest.”
Rijpma-de Jong finished a tenth to WB silver at 1,000m in Beijing: ‘Then you’re disappointed’
“My pitfall is that I want to show it too much. That will always be a pitfall. It is what it is. Yesterday I went up way too much. Now I could find my peace more. But I am happy with my race. But a tenth. It would have been very nice…”
Leerdam only fifth
Jutta Leerdam, second behind Takagi last week, disappointed with fifth place. She lost her balance twice in the first few hundred meters and crossed the line after 1.15.23. Leerdam remained six tenths behind the winning time of the Japanese.
Marrit Fledderus, still active in the B group in Nagano last week, came in sixteenth place with 1.17.08.
Wiklund wins 3,000 meters in Beijing, Beune takes almost two seconds to WB silver
No gold for the Netherlands in the 1,000 meters and there was also no Dutch victory in the 3,000 meters. Gold beckoned, but Joy Beune took silver (4.01.90) behind the Norwegian winner Ragne Wiklund (4.00.10). Canada’s Isabelle Weidemann came third (4:02.02).
Beune finished third in the three kilometers in Nagano last week, behind Ivanie Blondin (eighth today) and Wiklund. Beune was quite satisfied. “Just stable and good. Those last laps could be better. It was okay.” Despite a mosquito that ended up in Beune’s mouth during the race.
“I choked and panicked quite a bit and that caused my deterioration to increase rapidly. So I’m not crazy. I really thought: something is flying into my throat.”
Beune choked on a mosquito at 3,000 meters: ‘I panicked a bit’
Beune saw Wiklund almost drive under four minutes. “Ragne drives super flat. That’s how I wanted to drive it. I think I had a blow from being ill, so I’m trying to get over that and get into rhythm.”
Behind Beune, the other Dutchmen Merel Conijn (fourth), Marijke Groenewoud (fifth) and Sanne in ‘t Hof (seventh) remained within about three tenths of each other. Conijn (4.03.33), with both hands behind his back, narrowly stayed ahead of Groenewoud (4.03.40) and In ‘t Hof (4.03.67).
The World Cup weekend in Beijing continues on Sunday with the 500 meters, the mass start and the team sprint for men and women.
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