Beijing, China, February 15, 2022: Japan’s hopes of retaining their Olympic speed skating women’s team pursuit title came crashing to the ice at the National Speed Skating Oval on Tuesday afternoon.
The three-strong Japan team were looking good for gold in the final after a strong start against Canada in the six-lap race.
Even though the Canadians were drawing closer, Japan were still favourites with a lead of 0.39 seconds going into the last lap – until disaster struck on the very last bend when the back marker of Japan’s three skaters, Nana Takagi, lost her footing, slipped on to her backside and slid into the side cushions.
Her teammates could only look over their shoulder in dismay as the gold slipped away.
The race was over, and Canada came home in an Olympic record time of 2 minutes, 53.44 seconds – beating the mark of 2:53.61 Japan had set in the quarter-finals on February 12.
A tearful Takagi got up and skated to the line, enabling Japan to take silver in 3:04.47 – 11.03 seconds behind.
This was a huge disappointment for Japan, the world record-holders and defending champions from PyeongChang 2018 with the same three skaters: Ayano Sato and the Takagi sisters, Miho and Nana.
Nana Takagi, who had won two gold medals at PyeongChang four years earlier, sat alone at the side of the rink, inconsolable after her error that had, in all likelihood, cost her team the gold medal. It also meant a third silver medal of Beijing 2022 for Nana’s younger sister and delegation team captain Miho after she had finished second in the 1,500m and 500m.
Miho, who hugged her sister after the race, said: "I couldn't find any words to say to her at that moment. I just wanted to be close to her and give her a hug. In this event, to fall, we understand the pressure will be on. We cannot turn it around; we cannot change it. That is frustrating.
"You may feel they should not be held responsible, but that skater who falls will feel guilty. So, I knew I had these mixed feelings and that is why I hugged my sister."
Miho also thanked the local people for their support.
"We were not able to have fans from Japan, but we have been cheered by the Chinese people, and that has given us warmth, and the strength to compete.
“After the race I knew I had to hold strong, so that is why I thanked the local people and the members of Team Japan who came to cheer us. I also congratulated Canada on their brilliant race.”
Canada’s Valerie Maltais couldn’t quite believe they had won the gold medal. "It feels really surreal right now. There is such high emotion. Going into the race we wanted to make ourselves proud. We didn't want to put pressure on ourselves, it is a privilege to be in this final. Coming across the line, I just couldn't believe it."
Her teammate Isabelle Weidemann added: "We are still thinking, is this real? We knew we had a strong team; we knew we could put pressure on Japan and all the other strong teams today. I don't know if we'd thought about this possible outcome."
*In the first semi-final, Japan, starting on the finishing straight, beat the Russian Olympic Committee convincingly, cruising home in 2: 58.93, 6.99 seconds clear of the ROC in 3:05.92.
*The second semi-final between the Netherlands, PyeongChang 2018 silver medallists, and Canada was much tighter. Canada came home in 2:54.97, 0.96 seconds ahead of the Dutch in 2:55.93.
*The Dutch beat ROC in Final B for the bronze medal.
*China (2:58.34) beat Norway (3:02.15) in Final C to finish fifth in the women’s team pursuit rankings.
*In the men’s team pursuit, China (3:53.58) finished eighth after losing Final D to Italy (3:44.20), and Korea (3:53.77) finished sixth in the final rankings, behind Canada (3:40.39) in Final C.
Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun