ISU Short Track World Cup preview: Elise Christie set for Shanghai and Seoul
By Sam Drury
Last Updated: 11/12/14 1:09pm
Elise Christie is back in action this weekend as the ISU World Cup series heads to Asia. The world’s top short track skaters will compete over three days in Shanghai from Friday before moving on the Seoul for the final World Cup of the year.
The Sky Academy Sports Scholar has admitted that she will use the World Cups this season to hone her racing skills but will still be keen to get her first medal of the campaign under her belt during the Asian leg of the series, having missed out on a podium place in the US and Canada in November.
The 1000m is likely to provide Christie with her best chance of breaking her duck and despite failing to win a medal thus far, the European 1000m champion lies fourth in the rankings. Unsurprisingly, her main competition for a podium place will come from the Koreans.
Shim Suk Hee won gold in both Salt Lake City and Montreal over 1000m and also leads the overall classification thanks to her impressive showings in the 1500m as well. Having alternated being competing in the 500m and the 1500m alongside the 1000m, Christie’s seventh place in the overall rankings is all the more impressive.
Home favourite
Over the shorter distance, home favourite Fan Kexin is the skater to beat in China following on from her success at the two North American meets. Christie will not be the only British skater looking to outdo the 21-year-old though. Indeed, Charlotte Gilmartin is the top ranked GB skater over 500m at World Cups in 2014-15.
Short-track is like football out there, all the speed skaters are famous.
Elise Christie on Korea
Gilmartin’s encouraging performances put her fifth in the 500m rankings and are good news for Team GB as a whole and also for Christie, who could finally have an ally to help her battle with the numerous Korean skaters after a number of years as Britain’s solitary competitive female skater.
In the 1500m Shim starts as favourite with Italian Arianna Fontana also expected to be among the main contenders. The sheer unpredictability of the sport means that nothing can be certain and an athlete of Christie’s pedigree is more than capable of topping the podium herself.
Christie can also take added confidence into the Seoul leg of the World Cup double-header having spent two months training in Korea earlier this year in preparation for the season. That added familiarity could be just what she needs to get back amongst the medals.
