January 31. Ladies’ speed skating. 1,500 meters.
- Alexandra Kachurkina (Russia) – 2:06.20
- Nana Takahashi (Japan) – 2:06.35
- Yekaterina Aidova (Kazakhstan) – 2:06.58
A strong snowfall began in Almaty in the evening of January 30. Medeu staff, however, did their best to ensure that the competition in ladies’ speed skating scheduled for January 31 went as planned. Special equipment was used to clean the ice on the rink, while the employees cleaned the snow on the surrounding territories using large shovels. Thanks to the efforts, the competitions started on time. Shortly before the start, the snowfall subsided so the stands filled with spectators.
In total, 41 athletes started the race. The falling snow was an obstacle but most of them (40) managed to finish the race successfully. Alexandra Kachurkina from Russia showed the best results. Nana Takahashi (Japan) came second, while Yekaterina Aidova, the leader of the Kazakhstani team, took the bronze medal. The time difference between Aidova and Kachurkina was 0.38 seconds.
