Zoe Jurmann
Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications student
LAKE PLACID N.Y.– Canadian skater Laura Ann Hall broke the SSK Oval track record this morning, beating a time of 4:28:18 which had been set by competitor Jiwoo Park only two heats before. Hall finished the race with an outstanding time of 4:25:17.
“I had seen the record beforehand and I wanted to aim for that,” said Hall. “I just started fast, and I was able to maintain my pace long enough to get (the track record).”
Jiwoo Park, the bronze medalist for The Republic of Korea, was able to maintain an almost perfect pace throughout her heat. She seemed yards ahead of her pair, Polish Olga Kaczmarek, who finished with a time of 4:47:68. Park was delighted to find out that, not only was she unofficially in first place, but she had broken a track record that has stood since the 1980s. Park was kept on her toes when bronze medalist Rose-Anne Grenier of Canada was only 1.8 seconds away from breaking her record in the tenth heat. Grenier stood on the sidelines during the 11th and final heat as teammate Hall broke the track record. Despite only holding the track record for ten minutes, Park congratulated Hall and Grenier as they took their cool-down laps around the oval. Grenier wanted to focus on having fun and being in Lake Placid with her teammates during this competition, rather than the competition itself. Her positive mindset and happy attitude were able to get her on the podium today.
“The goal this week was to have fun and just perform well. Not even medal-wise, just do well for me” said Grenier. “Obviously that really paid off and I was able to execute the race how I wanted to. I got bronze, so that’s a big plus!”
The SSK Park Oval is set to host the women’s and men’s 1500m speed skating race tomorrow at 10:00 and 11:00 respectively.
The Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games is an 11-day competition and educational festival that features 1,443 collegiate-athletes, ages 17-25, from 595 universities across 43 countries. The competition consists of 12 winter sports and 86 medal events contested throughout northern New York, including Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Wilmington, North Creek, Canton and Potsdam.
Fans can follow the Lake Placid 2023 FISU World University Games on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with @LakePlacid2023, @SaveWinterHQ, #lakeplacid2023, #savewinter.
For more information about the Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games or to purchase tickets, visit www.lakeplacid2023.com.
PHOTO COURTESY: Vivian Porter
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