Ice, long track World Cup: Ghiotto wins the 10,000m, Bosa is third in the 1000m

It’s great Italy in the fourth stage of the season of the long track speed skating World Cup, on the Canadian Olympic Oval in Calgary. The blue team hits two historic results, enhanced by as many national records. The resounding success of Davide Ghiotto’s Italian night on Saturday in the 10,000m is echoed by David Bosa’s third place in the 1,000m.

The cross-country skier

—

Ghiotto is increasingly a reality of long distances. The 29-year-old from Vicenza, who is the reigning Olympic bronze medalist of the 10,000m, takes his first success on the circuit after six podium finishes, all in the 5,000m. To win, he had to beat the Dutchman Patrick Roest, flanked in his battery, this season unbeaten on the 5000m. The blue soon imposed his own pace and for his rival there was no way back. “Racing against Patrick is always difficult – said Davide -: I was lapping at 30”2-30”3 per lap and I saw that the lead remained unchanged. I kept pushing, also because I realized I was in line for my Italian record”. Arrived punctually: the pupil of coach Maurizio Marchetto, with 12’45”10, shaved the timeline of 88/100 achieved on 11 February last precisely on the occasion of the Chinese Games. And he edged 6”40 off Roest, second, with fellow Dutchman Beau Snellink third (on his own) at 8”24. Calgary brings good luck to the financier, second in the 5000 in last season’s stage and third in last weekend’s. It was since 2009 that an Italian hadn’t won an individual test against the time trial, since the days of Enrico Fabris. “The 5000m are not my most suitable race – claims the skater from Veneto -: I have to increase my basic speed and improve my technique. In the 10,000m, on the other hand, I’m able to push through the corners and relax on the straight. The next target? The World Cup in March, but in between there are numerous appointments to honour”. Meanwhile, with 202 points in the long-distance Cup standings, he is second at 32 to Roest himself.

Lo sprinter

—

No less prestigious – and more surprising – is Bosa’s third place in the 1000, his first time on the podium. The 30-year-old from Trentino, with 1’07”24, improved his Italian record by 16/100: it dated back to 5 December last year, in the Cup event in Salt Lakje City (USA). Better than him, on this occasion, only the American Jordan Stolz (1’06”72) and the Dutch Thomas Krol (1’07”16). The result does not come out of nowhere: last week Bosa, with the sixth overall time of the day, had won group B. There is only one previous men’s blue podium in the distance: Mirko Nenzi was second in Astana, in 2013. Less luck from the Mass Starts, the traditional hunting ground: Daniele Di Stefano was sixth, Andrea Giovannini, winner last Sunday, twentieth and Laura Peveri fifth. However, there are already six Azzurri podiums this season in the Cup.