Dennis

3/4 individual gold medals today won by Canadians 

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 2/6)
 
Women's 1.500m [1/2]:
 
01.  Kim Gilli
02.  Kristen Santos-Griswold
03.  Danae Blais
 
Men's 1.500m [1/2]:
 
01.  William Dandjinou
02.  Hwang Daeheon
03.  Kim Gun Woo

Less surprises on the women's 1.500m.
 
Groenewoud (5th at World Championships), Kiel (surprising 2nd place, making her World Cup debut at age 27), Rijpma-de Jong (reigning World Champion), Beune (6th last year in the final World Cup standings) and Wijfje (back after a poor season) qualified for the first World Cups.
 
Only one smaller surprise: Irene Schouten finished in 8th place, one spot behind 16-year old 6x junior World Champion (1.000m, 1.500m, mass start, team pursuit, team sprint & allround) Angel Daleman. Last year Schouten also finished in 8th spot at the qualification tournament, but that was after she took it a little easier during the summer, following her 3 Olympic gold medals in Beijing.

The Dutch qualifications for the first four World Cups started about 1.5 hours ago and already some big surprises. The 5.000m for men just finished.
 
Patrick Roest won the 5k, which is no surprise as he's the reigning World Champion. However, the other skaters who qualified for the first four World Cups are Chris Huizinga, Jesse Speijers (21 years old), Marwin Talsma, and Gert Wierda (21 years old). 
 
This means the following guys are out:
 
Jorrit Bergsma (4x silver medalist at World Championships over 5.000m), finished in 10th place Beau Snellink (last year's World Cup winner over 5.000m and 10.000m), finished in 9th place Marcel Bosker (5th at the 2023 World Championships on the 5.000m), finished in 6th place

Less surprises on the women's 1.500m.
 
Groenewoud (5th at World Championships), Kiel (surprising 2nd place, making her World Cup debut at age 27), Rijpma-de Jong (reigning World Champion), Beune (6th last year in the final World Cup standings) and Wijfje (back after a poor season) qualified for the first World Cups.
 
Only one smaller surprise: Irene Schouten finished in 8th place, one spot behind 16-year old 6x junior World Champion (1.000m, 1.500m, mass start, team pursuit, team sprint & allround) Angel Daleman. Last year Schouten also finished in 8th spot at the qualification tournament, but that was after she took it a little easier during the summer, following her 3 Olympic gold medals in Beijing.

The Dutch qualifications for the first four World Cups started about 1.5 hours ago and already some big surprises. The 5.000m for men just finished.
 
Patrick Roest won the 5k, which is no surprise as he's the reigning World Champion. However, the other skaters who qualified for the first four World Cups are Chris Huizinga, Jesse Speijers (21 years old), Marwin Talsma, and Gert Wierda (21 years old). 
 
This means the following guys are out:
 
Jorrit Bergsma (4x silver medalist at World Championships over 5.000m), finished in 10th place Beau Snellink (last year's World Cup winner over 5.000m and 10.000m), finished in 9th place Marcel Bosker (5th at the 2023 World Championships on the 5.000m), finished in 6th place

And damn, that's a new (of course unofficial) sea level world record....in October
 
His move to one of the Dutch commercial teams isn't a bad one so far  
 

I watched the live stream a couple of times during those 108 hours. It’s bizarre what these athletes are capable of. 

Winners 2023:  Bol,  Ingebritsen,  Topic, and  Furlani

Canada won both gendered relays, cannot recall the last time the women won gold!

Japan is the 10th country to win a medal here! Bold race from them, racing at or near the front for most of the race, despite being the weakest team on paper. 

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 1/6)
 
Women's 3.000m Relay:
 
01.  Canada
02.  United States of America
03.  the Netherlands
 
Men's 5.000m Relay:
 
01.  Canada
02.  South Korea
03.  Japan

Japan is the 10th country to win a medal here! Bold race from them, racing at or near the front for most of the race, despite being the weakest team on paper. 

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 1/6)
 
Women's 3.000m Relay:
 
01.  Canada
02.  United States of America
03.  the Netherlands
 
Men's 5.000m Relay:
 
01.  Canada
02.  South Korea
03.  Japan

All 8 individual distances have been finished during this first World Cup weekend and we have 8 different winners: Kristen Santos-Griswold, Hanne Desmet, Xandra Velzeboer, Kim Gilli, Park Ji Won, Hwang Daeheon, Liu Shaoang, and Kim Gun Woo.
 
On top of that, 13 more skaters that won at least one medal. So the 24 medals on the individual distances were split between 21 different skaters from 9 different countries. Very exciting and unpredictable first World Cup weekend! 

All 8 individual distances have been finished during this first World Cup weekend and we have 8 different winners: Kristen Santos-Griswold, Hanne Desmet, Xandra Velzeboer, Kim Gilli, Park Ji Won, Hwang Daeheon, Liu Shaoang, and Kim Gun Woo.
 
On top of that, 13 more skaters that won at least one medal. So the 24 medals on the individual distances were split between 21 different skaters from 9 different countries. Very exciting and unpredictable first World Cup weekend! 

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 1/6)
 
Women's 1.000m [2/2]:
 
01.  Kim Gilli
02.  Hanne Desmet
03.  Kristen Santos-Griswold
 
Men's 1.000m [2/2]:
 
01.  Kim Gun Woo
02.  Luca Spechenhauser
03.  William Dandjinou

Nice finish by  Kim Gilli in the final of the 2nd women's 1.000m when she sneakily passed  Desmet and  Santos-Griswold who were fighting for first the entire race up to the last corner.

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 1/6)
 
Women's 500m:
 
01.  Xandra Velzeboer
02.  Selma Poutsma
03.  Martina Valcepina
 
Men's 500m:
 
01.  Liu Shaoang
02.  Felix Roussel
03.  Quentin Fercoq

All 8 individual distances have been finished during this first World Cup weekend and we have 8 different winners: Kristen Santos-Griswold, Hanne Desmet, Xandra Velzeboer, Kim Gilli, Park Ji Won, Hwang Daeheon, Liu Shaoang, and Kim Gun Woo.
 
On top of that, 13 more skaters that won at least one medal. So the 24 medals on the individual distances were split between 21 different skaters from 9 different countries. Very exciting and unpredictable first World Cup weekend! 

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 1/6)
 
Women's 1.000m [2/2]:
 
01.  Kim Gilli
02.  Hanne Desmet
03.  Kristen Santos-Griswold
 
Men's 1.000m [2/2]:
 
01.  Kim Gun Woo
02.  Luca Spechenhauser
03.  William Dandjinou

Nice finish by  Kim Gilli in the final of the 2nd women's 1.000m when she sneakily passed  Desmet and  Santos-Griswold who were fighting for first the entire race up to the last corner.

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 1/6)
 
Women's 500m:
 
01.  Xandra Velzeboer
02.  Selma Poutsma
03.  Martina Valcepina
 
Men's 500m:
 
01.  Liu Shaoang
02.  Felix Roussel
03.  Quentin Fercoq

ISU World Cup 2023/24 - Montréal (Stage 1/6)
 
Mixed 2.000m Relay:
 
01.  China
02.  South Korea
03.  Italy