SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING: Deanna Lockett and Andy Jung have shown they mean business on the opening day of racing at the Short Track Speed Skating World Cup 2 in Dordrecht overnight.
Off the back of her first World Cup medal in Budapest last weekend, Lockett cruised through her 1500m race to take out her heat and easily qualify for the semi-finals.
“Deanna is in great form,” Australian Short Track coach Lachlan Hay said.
“After having the great success with a medal [in Budapest] and overcoming a bit of training interruption leading into the week, I think the second World Cup will be strong.”
President of Ice racing Australia, Frank Anderson, is in the Netherlands with the team and said the 21-year-old is skating well.
“Deanna absolutely owned the entire field in her 1500m and is truly a gold medal prospect for Saturday,” Anderson said.
The Sochi 2014 Olympian didn’t make it through the 500m preliminary rounds, but she will contest the 1000m preliminaries and heats tonight with the 1500m semi-final on Saturday evening AEDT.
In the men’s short track events, Jung punched through the 500m preliminaries before coming up against a world class field in the heats where he placed second and booked his spot in Saturday's quarter-finals.
“Andy’s 500m heat today was an A-final in a World Cup in any other year,” Anderson said.
"He has certainly shown a different approach to this World Cup season with intelligent racing strategies and clearly a stronger technical base with which he has placed himself on par with the world’s best.
"It is clear that Andy is here to fight not only for the best possible result for Australia, but to be noted as one of the best in the world in the lead up to PyenongChang.” he said.
Jung didn’t compete in the 1500m but will line up in the 1000m tonight with his teammates Pierre Boda and Alex Bryant
Last night Boda advanced through both the 500m and 1500m preliminary’s but was unlucky to not secure a quarter-final birth after the heats.
Keanu Blunden advanced through to the 1500m heats, and Liam O’Brien made a good start on his World Cup season, placing fourth in his 1500m preliminary round.
Hay said the men’s team has now shaken off their nerves and he looks forward to seeing some strong performances.
“The guys have had the first World Cup now which is sometimes a bit nerve racking as they’re getting used to racing again,” he said,
“Now in the second World Cup we should see a more relaxed group and good results.”
The Dordrecht World Cup continues tonight with the women’s 1000m preliminary’s kicking off at 11am local time (8pm AEDT), followed by the men’s 1000m events.
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au
