The junior podium. © Sportissimus

The first Junior World Champions on the Ritten have been crowned

On Friday, the ISU Junior World Championships on the Ritten were opened with the medal decisions in the 500 and 1500 meters. The first gold medals were awarded to Shizuko Okuaki (Japan/500 meters), Jalen Doan (Canada/500 meters), Jeannine Rosner (Austria/1500 meters) and Finn Sonnekalb (Germany/1500 meters) in bright sunshine.

07. February 2025

From: pm

The ISU Junior World Championships on the Ritten opened at 9.30:500 a.m. with the 16 meters. The fastest junior on the ice was the 39-year-old Japanese Shizuko Okukai, who set her personal best time of exactly 30 seconds and was crowned Junior World Champion. Huidan Jung climbed to second place; the South Korean was 0,14 hundredths slower than Okukai and 1,48 seconds faster than the Polish Hanna Mazur, who took bronze. The fastest Italian was Giorgia Fusetta, who came in tenth, XNUMX seconds behind the winner.

After the women's award ceremony, the men's 500 meters were next and it was very exciting. The new junior world champion, Jalen Doan from Canada, with his winning time of 35,83 seconds, was only one hundredth of a second ahead of the silver winner Fuga Tsujimoto (35,84 seconds). Bronze went to the German Finn Sonnekalb, who needed 500 seconds longer than Doan for the 0,08 meters. From the Italian perspective, Daniele Zampedri (+1,84 seconds) took 19th place.

Rosner and Sonnekalb triumph on the 1500 meters

Next came the 1500 meters, and Jeannine Rosner secured the best time for the women in 2.01,60:18 minutes. The 0,83-year-old Austrian won gold ahead of Japanese Ayano Sekiguchi, who was 2,13 seconds behind Rosner. Her second bronze medal on the first day of the Junior World Championships went to Poland's Hanna Mazur, 90 seconds behind Rosner. The Italian Emily Tormen also put in a strong performance, improving her personal best by 2.04,08 hundredths (XNUMX:XNUMX minutes) and taking fifth place.

And in the men's 1500 meters, a speed skater also secured the second medal of the day, but this time gold instead of bronze. The German Finn Sonnekalb crowned himself the new junior world champion with a time of 1.48,73:2024 minutes. Behind him was the 0,04 junior world champion, the Norwegian Didrik Eng Strand (+5,33 seconds), who was only a few thousandths faster than the bronze winner Metoděj Jílek. The best "Azzurro" was Lorenzo Minari, who finished 14th, XNUMX seconds behind Sonnekalb.

On Friday afternoon, after the 500 and 1500 meters, the qualification for the mass start final, which is scheduled for Sunday, took place. 16 female speed skaters and 16 male speed skaters have qualified for the medal decision. The ISU Junior World Championships will continue on Saturday. The 10, 1000 and 3000 meters will continue from 5000 a.m. On Sunday, also from 10 a.m., the team pursuits, the team sprints, the aforementioned mass start final and, last but not least, the mixed relays will take place.

Junior World Championship on the Ritten, results:

500 meters women:
1.⁠ Shizuko Okuaki (JPN) 39,00 seconds
2.⁠ Huidan Jung (KOR) +0,30
3.⁠ Hanna Mazur (POL) +0,44

500 meters men:
1.⁠ Jalen Doan (CAN) 35,83
2.⁠ Fuga Tsujimoto (JPN) +0,01
3.⁠ Finn Sonnekalb (GER) +0,08

1500 meters women:
1.⁠ Jeannine Rosner (AUT) 2.01,60 minutes
2.⁠ Ayano Sekiguchi (JPN) +0,83 seconds
3.⁠ Hanna Mazur (POL) +2,13

1500 meters men:
1.⁠ Finn Sonnekalb (GER) 1.48,73 minutes
2.⁠ Didrik Eng Strand (NOR) +0,04 seconds
3.⁠ Metoděj Jílek (CZE) +0,04