The Polish revolution continued with the first 1500m victory for Jan Szymanski (POL) and another 500m win for Artur Was (POL) on the final day of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating weekend in Berlin. Norway took both silvers. A tight win for Ireen Wüst (NED) over Heather Richardson (USA) and Marrit Leenstra (NED) made the 1500m ladies exciting and Sang-Hwa Lee took another 500m win. Irene Schouten (NED) and Seung-Hoon Lee (KOR) took gold in the Mass Start. Five skaters improved their personal best times, bringing the total of this weekend to 27, including four national records. 

Smallest margin ever on ladies’ 1500 for Wüst over Richardson and Leenstra

Just like in Saturday’s 1000m, Brittany Bowe (USA) met compatriot Heather Richardson in the first pair of the 1500m on Sunday. Bowe won the 1000m, but had to leave this race to Richardson, who set 1:55.91 against 1:56.12 for Bowe. They both had a low 25 opener, but Richardson was 0.2 faster and kept that advantage throughout the race in which both ladies had a 28.5 and a 30.3 lap to finish with 31.8 (1.9 for Bowe).

In the sixth pair Marije Joling (NED) was the first skater after the Americans to skate below 1:58 (1:57.78), but the first skaters to really challenge the first pair were Marrit Leenstra and Ireen Wüst (NED) in the final pair. They opened 25.8, Wüst then had a 28.6 lap, gaining 0.3 on Leenstra. In the second lap Leenstra gained a little back with a 29.8 lap, versus 29.9, and she continued with 31.3 to set 1:55.93. Wüst had to give it all for a final 31.4 lap and managed to stay ahead in 1:55.89. She was only two hundreds faster than Richardson and claimed gold. Leenstra took the bronze and with all medals within 0.04 seconds, the 1500m had the closest podium ever.

Wüst leads the World Cup with 280 points, Leenstra dropped to second with 250 and Ida Njåtun (NOR) is third with 156.

HIGHLIGHTS

-       Heather Richardson (High Point, NC) and Brittany Bowe (Ocala, FL) placed 2^nd and 4^th respectively in both the 1500 and 500m A finals.

-       On the men’s side, world record holder, Shani Davis (Chicago, IL) placed 5^th in the 1500m A final, with a time of 1:47.58.

-       Maria Lamb (River Falls, WI) tied with Heather Richardson for 23^rd in the mass start, at 8:07.40, while Jeffrey Swider-Peltz (Chicago, IL) raced to a 16^th place finish on the men’s side, with a time of 7:48.76.

-       Sugar Todd (Milwaukee, WI) finished 13^th in the Ladies 500m B final, while teammates Mitch Whitmore (Waukesha, WI), Jonathan Garcia (Houston, TX) and Kimani Griffin (Winston-Salem, NC) came in at 8^th, 14^th and 19^th  in the Men’s 500m.

-       In the Men’s 1500m B Final, Joey Mantia (Ocala, FL) had a 7^th place finish, a few spots ahead of Jeffrey Swider-Peltz, who came in 10^th, and Jonathan Garcia, who finished in 17^th place.

Watch the ISU World Cup Berlin this weekend from home with the icenetwork season pass! Use discount code: CYBER14 which makes the price of the speed skating season pass $24.99 (regularly $49.99); goes through Dec. 7 at 12 midnight ET. Get yours here: http://web.icenetwork.com/subscribe/

OFFICIAL RESULTS

Click here for official results: http://live.isuresults.eu/2014-2015/berlin/

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