US Sprint Teams Win Medals at Four Continents Championships
by Paul D. Bowker
A pair of U.S. sprint teams reached the podium at the ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships held this past weekend in Quebec City, Quebec.
Chrysta Rands-Evans, Anna Quinn and Sarah Warren finished second in the Women’s Team Sprint held Friday. They posted a time of 1 minute, 31.389 seconds to beat out Canada for the runner-up spot behind winner China (1:30.596).
On the same day, American skaters Tanner Worley, Zach Stoppelmoor and Conor McDermott-Mostowy combined to place third in the Men’s Team Sprint. They posted a time of 1:21.288, finishing 0.036 seconds behind runner-up South Korea. Host team Canada won the event with a time of 1:20.596.
The performances marked the second straight week both U.S. sprint teams were on an international podium after both finished third in a World Cup in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
The U.S. nearly won a medal in the Women’s Team Pursuit in Quebec City. Thalia Staehle, Giorgia Birkeland and Rebecca Simmons combined for a time of 3:14.495, trailing bronze medalist South Korea by 3.22 seconds.
McDermott-Mostowy came within two spots of winning an individual medal in the Men’s 1500m. He finished fifth with a time of 1:47.602, missing a bronze medal by 0.203 seconds. He also placed ninth in the Men’s Mass Start, two spots behind Stoppelmoor, while Simmons was the top American in the Women’s Mass Start, finishing eighth.
Stoppelmoor also was the top American in the Men’s 500m with a 10th-place finish and time of 35.801 seconds and in the Men’s 1000m with a time of 1:11.362.
Worley teamed up with Jonathan Tobon and Kelin Dunfee in the Men’s Team Pursuit for a fifth-place finish. They had a time of 3:57.985.
Dunfee and Tobon had top-10 finishes in the Men’s 5000m, placing eighth and ninth, respectively.
Warren was the top American in the Women’s 500m, placing ninth with a time of 39.623 seconds. She also led the way with 11th-place finishes in both the 1500m and 1000m.
The ISU World Cup circuit resumes this weekend in Calgary, Alberta.