KEARNS — The prize U.S. speedskater Mia Kilburg is pursuing was far beyond the finish line at the Utah Olympic Oval Thursday.
“Pretty solid,” Kilburg said of how she felt about her 3,000-meter race on the ice where she trains. “We’ve had a couple of weekends of racing leading into this, and some travel kind of set us back with training and preparation for it. But going into it, we just had a strategy to continue to get better and work on my my race strategy, and it was a positive race in that sense.”
But after her coaches informed her that her 4:05.838 was her fastest time since 2017, she felt even better about her performance.
“That’s pretty positive going into two years from now,” she said. “For me, 2022 is the goal. Right now, I’m kind of getting back into serious training since the games. ... For me, my sights are strictly on the games. Each race is a new preparation, a new opportunity to work on bettering myself, but yeah, today is just another race.”
Kilburg, who looked exhausted after Thursday’s race, took some time off after the 2018 Olympics.
“I kind of sloughed,” she said. “I got married, moved around a lot. ... Then I met with (coach) Gabe Girard (the new long track coach). He was like, ‘Yeah, you have the opportunity to do something different.’”
When asked what was different about working with Griard, she said, “Everything.”
“Technically, training-wise, his mindset, it’s going to do good things for the Olympics,” she said, adding that she’s adjusted her technique, as well as her training, as she eyes the 2022 Games. “(I’m) just trying to have a more flat, steady race, and just building my base to be able to withstand seven laps.”
The gold medal time of 3:54.252 was skated by Martina Sáblíková, Czech Republic, while Carlijn Achtereekte, Netherlands, earned silver with a time of 3:52.924. Russia’s Natalia Voronina earned bronze with a time of 3:55.540, edging her teammate Evgeniia Lalenkova by a fraction of a second.
Instead of podiums in 2020, Kilburg is measuring her success in other ways, less obvious ways.
“For me, right now, it’s more about the way that I skated,” she said. “And if I skate it how I’m training and how I hope to race a race, it’ll come out with a successful time. Like today, I’m not winning or on the podium, but to skate the fastest race in three years, it’s a win, for sure.”
Achtereekte’s time was a personal best, but no new track or national records were set in the women’s 3,000-meter event. The gold medalist is also eyeing the games, but for the veteran, who earned a World Championship in 2007 in Kearns and an Olympic Gold in Vancouver in 2010, earning a win Thursday was something to relish.
“In two years nobody knows what’s going to happen,” Sáblíková said, “but I’m enjoying this moment and this medal. Now I can think about the Winter Olympics.”
The men also raced in the 10,000-meter event Thursday, with Canada’s Ted-Jan Bloemen winning the gold with a time of 6:04.375. No Americans competed in the longest distance available to speedskaters.
There were concerns for organizers and competitors about the coronavirus, a severe flu that was discovered in China a few months ago and has now spread around the world, including to the U.S. While exports and travel out of China has been shut down in recent weeks, the Chinese National Team did arrive in Utah to compete in this weekend’s Single Distance Championships.
U.S. Speedskating officials issues this statement on the fears, “A safety protocol and precautionary measures have been implemented at the Utah Olympic Oval and to screen all World Single Distances Championship team members and officials for the coronavirus when they arrive at the venue. The Utah Olympic Oval, U.S. Speedskating and the International Skating Union are committed to hosting a safe event for athletes, attendees, staff and volunteers.”
On the ISU website, there was a list of precautions and a second statement of the sports commitment to helping prevent the spread of any disease, but especially coronavirus.
“The following precautions have been implemented at all ISU Events as of January 31, 2020 and are aimed at all athletes and their entourage for the prevention of contracting the Coronavirus,” the website said.
Those precautions are:
- Questionnaire to be completed on arrival, including travel screening.
- Health checks on arrival and periodically throughout the ISU Event.
- Availability of tests for coronavirus on anyone with a temperature.
- Availability of masks for anyone who requests one or who has cold-like symptoms.
- Isolation room(s) to be available if necessary.
- Availability of hand sanitizer throughout the venue and the hotel.
- Gloves to be available if requested.
- Reinforce education regarding frequent hand-washing.
- Reduce handshaking and close physical contact.
- Educational sheet is included in information at the ISU Events.
“Further, the ISU is in close contact with the Organizing Committees who will implement any necessary measures for the public. Additionally, the ISU continues to closely monitor any new development of the evolution of the Coronavirus and will follow the recommendations provided by the World Health Organization.”
Correction: In an earlier version, the new U.S. coach was mistakenly identified as Dave Cruikshank. It is actually Gabe Girard.