LIVE World Sprint Championships | Medals for Kok and Leerdam, De Boo defends lead at 1000 meters | Sport

• 8.50 pm: 1000 meters men

Takagi, who started the 1000 meters with a lead of 0.67 seconds over Kok and 1.71 seconds over Leerdam, made no mistake. Her second time of 1.13.13 was enough for a World Cup win. Leerdam set a new track record in Inzell with the fastest time of 1.12.86, but could not prevent a silver medal from compatriot Kok. The latter recorded the third fastest time of 1.13.57, leaving Leerdam 0.33 seconds ahead of Leerdam in the general classification. Isabel Grevelt concluded her sprint four-way event with 1.15.28 in the second 1000 meters, but was disqualified after an unauthorized finish.

“Finally showing a good thousand,” a proud Cook analyzed afterwards NOS. “That gives confidence for next year. I knew it was possible to stay ahead of Leerdam in the rankings. A ride like that against Miho is quite exciting, but I’m glad it worked out. I think I can be very proud of second place, Miho was really the best this weekend.”

Kok won the 500 meters earlier on Friday evening in a time of 37.07, Takagi finished fourth at that distance with a time of 37.19. Leerdam recorded the sixth fastest time with 37.57 and saw Kok and Takagi continue to lead in the general classification. South Korea’s Kim Minsun finished second in 37.11, and America’s Erin Jackson finished third in 37.13. Isabel Grevelt had a bad start and did not come close to the fastest times with 38.05.

De Boo dealt a blow to Zhongyan Ning, Laurent Debreuil and Kjeld Nuis in the 500 meters. The Dutchman won with a top time of 34.27 and took the lead in the general classification. Number two Ning recorded a personal record of 34.47, the Canadian Laurent Dubreuil recorded exactly the same time as the Chinese.

“Unbelievable, what a difference from last night. So many fewer mistakes, you just felt that things were going better. Really super happy with it,” shouted De Boo, who defended a lead of 0.07 seconds over Dubreuil in the final 1000 meters. The lead over Ning is 0.13 seconds.

Kjeld Nuis lost out in a direct duel with Ning and recorded the seventeenth fastest time with 34.97. Nuis drops to fifth place in the general classification, 1.64 seconds behind De Boo and seems to have resigned himself to that. “I can’t compete with this sprint violence,” he analyzed afterwards. “This is not the weekend I had hoped for.”