Top 10 Women Speed Skaters of the Year 2012
After the men, let's make room for the women! The choice was trickier, even if the women's packs are a bit less supplied than the men's. However, several personalities stood up in 2012…
Par alfathor
1) Francesca Lollobrigida (Italy)
Blazing Italian Francesca Lollobrigida will have left her mark on the World Championships with her superiority, winning two gold, three silver and two bronze medals.
These titles were won with style on the hardest competitions: the point races!
2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: 10km point race on track
- World Champion: 10km point race on road
- World Vice-Champion: elimination race on track
- World Vice-Champion: 20km elimination race on track
- World Vice-Champion: 5000m relay on road
- 3rd: 3000m senior women relay on track
- 3rd: 1000m senior women on track
2) Kelly Martinez (Columbia)
Columbian Kelly Martinez lives in Bogota. She did a great season start in South America before doing it again in Italy.
She played an important role in the success of her team mates, particularly with Caroline Upegui.
2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: elimination race on track
- World Champion: 3000m senior women relay on track
- 3rd: 20km elimination race on road
- 4th: 5000m relay on road
- 6th: 1000m senior women on track
- 6th: Marathon in San-Benedetto-del-Tronto
3) Erika Zanetti (Italy)
The new Powerslide recruit for 2013 did not mince her pushes in 2012! She won a world title and two silver medals at the World Championships.
After a difficult start on track where she was plagued by bad luck (a collision with Columbian Cecilia Baena on the 500m track race) she managed to get the title on the 500m road race.
2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: 500m on road in 47.077
- World Vice-Champion: 5000m relay on road
- World Vice-Champion: 500m on track
- 3rd: 3000m senior women relay on track
- 4th: 300m time trials on track in 26.992
4) Manon Kamminga (Netherlands)
Ice skating is a tradition in the Netherlands. Just as most of her compatriots, Manon Kammiga combines both seasons with talent!
She particularly stood out during the 5000m relay with her compatriots Irene Schouten (left on the picture) and Elma De Vries (center).
2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: 5000m relay on road
- World Vice-Champion: 500m on road
- 3rd: 10km point race on road
- 4th: 3000m senior women relay on track
- 8th: Marathon in San-Benedetto-del-Tronto
5) So Yeong Shin (South Korea)
Korean So Yeong Shin does not compete much outside of Asia, just as most of her compatriots, which is a shame when you see the Korean level on track!
So Yeong Shin shone in winning the International Criterium of Gross-Gerau before standing up at the World Championships.
2012 hit list
- World Champion: 500m on track in 26.606
- Winner of the 5000m at the International Criterium of Gross-Gerau
- Winner of the 300m at the International Criterium of Gross-Gerau
- 2nd at the 500m at the International Criterium of Gross-Gerau
6) Guo Dan (China)
Chinese skater Guo Dan went to Italy to get the first Chinese world title of speed skating in history. She won the 1000m track race, daring to start while all the other skaters stood speechlessly on the starting line.
The other races often left her at the foot of the podium, the most frustrating place!
2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: 1000m senior women on track
- 4th: 20km elimination race on road
- 4th: 10km point race on road
- 7th: Marathon in San-Benedetto-de-Tronto
7) Katharina Rumpus (Germany)
The young rising star of Powerslide shines on international marathons, but she also found her place in the junior national German team.
Katharina Rumpus won two titles in Italy on her favorite competition and on relay.
- 2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: Marathon
- World Champion: 5000m relay on road with Alisa Gutermuth and Carolin Zielke
- World Vice-Champion: 1000m on track
- 5th: 3000m relay on track
8) Linda Rossi (Italy)
We hesitated for a long time with Giulia Lollobrigida (Francesca’s sister), who also did great performances during the World Championships in Italy. The two Italian skaters were efficient frontrunners.
It seems to us that Linda Rossi has the potential of a future star. She should send sparks flying in the senior category!
For the 300m track race, she would have finished at the 3rd place… There is no doubt that she will be heard about in the coming years…
2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: 300m in 26.915
- World Vice-Champion: 200m on road in 17.915
9) Cecilia Baena (Columbia)
At the start of the season, Cecilia Baena decided to focus on the World Championships to make a great comeback in the national Columbian team. She sacrificed the European and Asian races. After having been plagued by back luck during the whole World Championships, the Columbian skater finally won the marathon with the help of her team mate on the finish line…
Reminder: While she was in the last lap of the 500m track race, she missed a push at the exit of the ultimate bend of the race and collided with Italian Erika Zanetti who was then leading.
2012 World Championships hit list
- World Champion: Marathon in San-Benedetto-del-Tronto
- 4th: 500m on road
- 4th: 5000m relay on road
- Winner of the 3 Tracks
- Winner of the Semi-Marathon in Berlin
10) Sabine Berg (Germany)
Sabine Berg is the leader of the Powerslide Matter women’s team on big races. She finished 1st or 2nd at the 5 competitions of the 2012 German Inline Cup she took part in.
2012 hit list
- Winner of the Marathon in Berlin
- 2nd of the Semi-Marathon on Berlin (German Inline Cup)
- Winner of the Marathon in Frankfurt (German Inline Cup)
- 2nd of the Marathon on Coblence (German Inline Cup)
- Winner of the X-Race (German Inline Cup)
- 2nd of the Marathon in Cologne (German Inline Cup)
But also…
- Winner of the Criterium of Gross Gerau
Special mention to… Caroline Upegui (Columbia) and Renata Karabova (Slovakia)
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Renata Karabova wins the 2012 World Inline Cup… partly thanks to the absence of the Powerslide team who was focused on the German Inline Cup races…? 2012 hit list of Renata Karabova
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Columbian Caroline Upegui managed to win two medals during the World Championships in Italy on the elimination races. 2012 hit list of Caroline Upegui
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Links
Top 10 Men Speed Skaters of the Year 2012
Top 10 Women Speed Skaters of the Year 2012 by Bill Begg (inline-planet)
Translation: Chloé Seyres
Photos: Marcoperuzzo.com, Fotoforschi, Daniel Busser
