SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING: Records tumbled and so did the skaters as the men’s and women’s 500m lit up Melbourne’s Icehouse during the Australian Open Championships this evening.
SHORT TRACK SPEED SKATING: Records tumbled and so did the skaters as the men’s and women’s 500m lit up Melbourne’s Icehouse during the Australian Open Championships this evening.
Pierre Boda was the fastest qualifier for the final after blitzing his semi-final in 42.86 seconds, eclipsing the Australian record of 42.891 set by Alex Merriman back in 2007.
Boda was joined in the four-man final by Nate Henry, Armstrong Lazenby and Simon Francis. Unlucky to miss a finals berth was Victorian Andy Jung who sustained an injury in a semi-final crash and was unable to finish his race.
Blink and you would have missed the final, with Boda executing the perfect race plan to win the race ahead of Francis, with Henry and Lazenby third and fourth respectively.
Despite Boda’s convincing win, the four and a half lap race was not short of drama. In second place with one corner to go, 20-year-old Henry dug his toe in on the straight-away and in a split second was down, collecting Lazenby with him.
Crashes are part and parcel of the sport of short track, and it was Boda’s race plan to get out front and avoid a melee.
“The 500 is about going as fast as you can and as hard as you can,” Boda said after the race.
“Anything can really happen! It was my plan for most of the races to go as fast as I could to get the best lane as possible,” Boda said. “And generally just stay out of trouble as much as possible.”
The ladies lined up next for their mad dash. Having won the 1500m earlier in the day, Deanna Lockett again headlined the event.
Despite her strength lying in the longer distance, Lockett produced a fine performance in the sprint, taking out the event in front of Alix-Myra Anderson , Sinead Fogarty and Lucy Burridge.
“In my 500m race I was just trying to get my mindset back into racing,” 17-year-old Lockett said after the race.
“I’m just getting my skating starts ready and my preparation ready for the World Cups. It was a bit hard getting back into it at first but after a few races I feel much better.”
Competition continues tomorrow, Saturday 31 August, with the men’s and ladies’ 1000m, 3000m and relay events. Live streaming is available at https://new.livestream.com/atcproductions/speedskating
Alice Wheeler
@AUSOlympicTeam
olympics.com.au
