This year’s Short Track Speed Skaters World Cup Series begins in Montreal, a doubleheader, with the Canadian city hosting the best of the sport from Friday to Sunday and again next weekend.
| Sandor Liu Shaolin and Liu Shaoang dressed in Chinese clothes (Photo: Getty Images) |
MONTREAL DOUBLE: The first two legs of the World Cup Series will be held in Canada – the first starting on Friday, from 3pm Hungarian time.
On the first day, competitors run only the first laps (or first two) of each distance, and then they will already have winners on Saturday and Sunday: on Saturday in the 1000 and 1500 meters and in the mixed relay, while on Sunday, in the 500 and 1000 metres, Skaters can win medals in women’s and men’s relay races. (A peculiarity of the World Cup Series is that the distance is run twice at each stop, which is the 1,000 meters this weekend in Montreal.)
Naturally, Hungarian short track racers are also participating in the competition, with the exception of Petra Gaspaty, who did not even travel abroad due to illness.
Among the women are Rebecca Seliczi-Nemet, Zofia Cunha, Sara Luka Bacskai, Maja Somodi, Eszter Toth and Diana Laura Figi, while among the men Pence Nogrady, Petr Gasabatti, Balázs Puntovic, Daniel Tyburc and Mark Czesmadia can prove themselves.
For the first time since changing countries, the Liu brothers will take to the ice in an international competition: Shawang and Shaolin were also named by the Chinese in the 500 and 1000 meters races – we could see them in the final program on Saturday and Sunday if the brothers succeed today.
Interestingly, Liu Shaolin and Bence Nogrady will start alongside each other in the seventh heat of the 500m heats.
