THE CANADIAN PRESS
CALGARY — Canada’s Christine Nesbitt went faster than she’s ever gone, but still wasn’t satisfied.
Nesbitt ranked second to Ireen Wust of the Netherlands at the Essent ISU World All-Around Speed Skating Championships on Saturday after posting the fastest times of her life in the 500 and 3,000 metres.
With the 1,500 and 5,000 still to go Sunday at Calgary’s Olympic Oval, Nesbitt is a contender for this year’s all-around title.
The world all-around championships are an endurance test for speedskaters with the winners determined by the times they skate over four distances. Those times are converted into points.
Nesbitt won Saturday’s first race, the 500 metres, in 37.72 seconds before finishing eighth in the 3,000 in four minutes 3.44 seconds. Though neither are her signature distances, Nesbitt trails Wust by just .29 points heading into Sunday.
But Nesbitt felt with the fast ice at the Oval, there was a quicker 3,000 metres in her even though she skated to a personal-best time.
"Maybe I’m being a bit hard on myself too because I haven’t focused on the 3,000 and I’m still learning how to skate it, but it’s world championships and that’s where you want to have your best races," she said. "Even though it was a personal best, I’m still not convinced it’s the best race I’ve done this year in the 3,000."
The 25-year-old from London, Ont., is the Olympic champion in the 1,000 and is undefeated in both that distance and the 1,500 this season.
Wust is the reigning Olympic champ in the 1,500 and Nesbitt needs a blistering 1,500 on Sunday before the 5,000, which is a distance she hasn’t raced since the 2009 world all-around championships in Hamar, Norway.
"I’m too pissed from today’s racing to think about the (5,000)," Nesbitt said. "We’ll see how the (5,000) goes, but first I have to focus on the 1,500.
"I’d really like to skate a personal best in the 1,500 and see the gap I can produce there if that’s possible."
Wust, the 2007 all-around champ, was third in the 500 and second in the 3,000. Defending all-around champion Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic sat third after two races. She won the 3,000 in 3:55.55 — a Czech national record — and finished 14th in the 500.
Koen Verweij of the Netherlands led the men’s standings Saturday, followed by Ivan Skobrev of Russia and Dutchman Jan Blokhuijsen. Skobrev won the 3,000 metres, while Shani Davis of the U.S. took the 500. Saskatoon’s Lucas Makowsky was the top Canadian male in 10th.
Winnipeg’s Cindy Klassen, sitting fifth overall among women, was the last Canadian to win the all-around title in 2006. She still holds the world records in the women’s 1,500 (1:51.79) and 3,000 metres (3:53.34), which were both set at the Calgary Oval in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
With this year’s world sprint title already in her trophy case, claiming what is the speedskating’s Ironman event would add further lustre to what has been a standout season by Nesbitt. She’s aiming for Klassen’s world record in the 1,500 on Sunday and then expects the 5,000 to completely drain any remaining reserves.
"I’m realistic. I know the (5,000) is not my strength. It’s my weakest distance," Nesbitt said. "Who knows what’s going to happen? I’m going to give it everything I have tomorrow and make people still nervous a bit. It’s hard when you have to hold on for dear life in the last distance."
Nesbitt didn’t like her chances at the title because of her weakness in the 5,000. But Speed Skating Canada’s high-performance director of long-track wasn’t counting his star out.
"She’s a person who is able to channel frustration in the right direction," Sean Ireland observed. "I’m excited to see what she does in the 1,500 given how hungry she seems right now.
"It takes four very good races to be up there. She’s obviously going to focus on the 1,500 and what she needs to do there and then refocus for the last distance in the 5k. Given how strong she’s been in the 3,000, there’s no reason for her to be afraid of that distance."
Winnipeg’s Brittany Schussler ranked ninth and Ottawa’s Ivanie Blondin was 18th among women after Saturday’s races. Montreal’s Mathieu Giroux sat 17th and Justin Warsylewicz of Regina was 21st in the men’s field.