SHANGHAI, China (December 9, 2011) – Team USA’s short track skaters had a strong opening day at the fourth stop of the Korean Air ISU World Cup in Shanghai, China. Today’s races featured qualifying rounds for the 500m (1), 500m (2), 1000m, 1500m and the men’s Relay.

The U.S. women dominated today’s heats. All three Team USA skaters won their 1500m heat – Katherine Reutter (Champaign, IL) posting 2:30.740, Lana Gehring (Glenview, IL) at 2:32.487, and Emily Scott (Springfield, MO) with a time of 2:37.540.

Jessica Smith (Melvindale, MI) won her 500m(1) heat with a time of 45.908, Alyson Dudek (Hales Corners, WI) took second in her 500m(1) heat posting 45.392.

Korea skated an incredible 6:35.884 to set a new relay World Record today, eclipsing the previous World Record time of 6:37.877 set by Great Britain in February 2011.  The U.S. men (Kyle Carr (Peachtree City, GA), Jordan Malone (Denton, TX), John-Henry Krueger (Pittsburgh, PA) and Travis Jayner (Midland, MI) skated a 6:54.761, to take third in their heat behind Canada (6:53.491) and Russia (6:54.360). Team USA will skate in tomorrow’s semifinal facing Korea, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Saturday’s World Cup will feature the Men’s and Ladies 500m(1) Quarterfinals – Finals, 1500m Semifinals - Finals, and the Relay

Semifinals.

Racing will be broadcast live at http://livemanager.eurovision.edgesuite.net/isu/site/index.html, beginning Friday, 12/9, at 10pm (MST). 

Please visit http://www.sportresult.com/federations/ISU/ShortTrack/ for complete results from today’s qualifying races. 

For additional information on Team USA and short track speedskating, please visit the following link for a copy of US Speedskating’s 2011 Fall Media Guide: http://content.yudu.com/A1usqc/STMediaGuide2011/resources/index.htm

Korean Air World Cup 4 – Shanghai

Team USA Heats Summary:

Ladies 500m(1) Heats:

Alyson Dudek 45.392

Jessica Smith 45.908

Tamara Frederick (Park Ridge, IL) 45.640

Dudek and Smith qualify for Saturday’s 500m(1) Quarterfinals

Men’s 500m (1) Heats:

Travis Jayner 42.080

Jayner qualifies for Saturday’s 500m(1) Quarterfinals

Ladies 500m(2) Heats:

Emily Scott 49.057 (ADV)

Jessica Smith 44.867

Tamara Frederick 46.018

Scott and Smith qualify for Sunday’s 500m(2) Quarterfinals

Men’s 500m (2) Heats:

Kyle Carr 42.387

Jonathan Garcia 42.222

Garcia qualifies for Sunday’s 500m (2) Quarterfinals

Men’s 1000m  Heats:

No U.S. qualifiers for Quarterfinals

Ladies 1000m  Heats: 

Katherine Reutter 1:32.329

Lana Gehring  1:32.631

Alyson Dudek 1:31.470

All qualify for 1000m quarterfinals

Men’s 1500m Heats:

Kyle Carr 2:26.231

John-Henry Krueger 2:22.520

Carr qualifies for Saturday’s 1500m Quarterfinals

Ladies 1500m Heats:

Katherine Reutter 2:30.740

Lana Gehring  2:32.487

Emily Scott 2:37.540

All qualify for Saturday’s 1500m Quarterfinals

Men’s Relay 

Team USA men's relay (Carr, Malone, Krueger, Jayner). The team qualified for Saturday’s Semifinals (6:54.761).

Korea sets World Record (6:35.884) in today's heats