Kristen Santos on 1000m Crash: ‘It is Undoubtedly Heartbreaking’

Kristen Santos was in medal place, poised to wipe out the frustration that has haunted American girls in Olympic quick monitor pace skating for 12 years.

As a substitute, Santos worn out. Or moderately, she was taken out by 10-time Olympic medalist Arianna Fontana of Italy, who slid into the Crew USA skater with beneath a lap to go within the 1000m and crashed each of them into the boards.

“It’s a part of the game,” stated Santos, who was making an attempt to win the primary Olympic medal by a U.S. girl briefly monitor since 2010. “I’ve positively messed individuals up earlier than. In fact, the scenario, for lack of a greater phrase, it sucks. However I’m not mad at anybody. Simply unhappy.”

The opposite three skaters continued on, the rostrum assured. Suzanne Schulting of the Netherlands, who had set a world and Olympic file within the quarterfinals, gained the gold medal with a time of 1:28.391. She edged Minjeong Choi of South Korea (1:28.443) whereas Hanne Desmet of Belgium took the bronze (1:28.928).

Santos peeled herself off the ice to complete fourth in 1:42.745 whereas Fontana was assessed a penalty.

Santos had no in poor health emotions towards the Italian, the defending champion within the occasion who had already gained the 500m in Beijing.

“She is the nicest particular person in the complete world,” Santos stated. “She’s somebody that I look as much as each single day. She’s such a powerful skater. So no unhealthy blood there in any respect.”

However she did have a bit blood, from a reduce on her decrease left shin. “Received a small battle wound, however nothing critical,” Santos stated.

What nicked her? “Not a clue,” she stated. “I’ve no ideas when a fall occurs, past ‘Oh, unhealthy phrase.’”

And Santos had different phrases. “It’s unlucky. It’s positively heartbreaking and disappointing. However I simply type of have to maneuver ahead.”

Though the 1000 is Santos’ greatest occasion, she can also be a robust contender for the rostrum within the girls’s 1500m on Wednesday.

Corinne Stoddard and Maame Biney, who had simply raced within the B remaining — with Stoddard eighth and Biney tenth — put the entire U.S. hopes on their teammate.

“You decide your self again up and dirt your self again off and go once more for the following race,” stated Biney, 22, a two-time Olympian. “The falls are generally not as unhealthy because it appears to be like.”

However they’re all the time surprising. Santos had spent a lot of the nine-lap race in third place to preserve power with a view to make her signature transfer on the finish.

“In my thoughts I used to be simply considering, ‘I’m in medal place, I need to get the very best medal attainable,’” Santos stated. “There was some contact, however I did all the pieces I might and I can’t be too upset with myself on the finish of the day.”

And he or she is aware of that some wipeouts can have much more devastating outcomes. Santos’ hand and wrist have been unintentionally run over by one other skater throughout a World Cup observe session a month earlier than the 2018 Olympic Trials. She competed within the Trials, however didn’t qualify, making her much more decided to make it to Beijing.

Previous to the 2022 Trials, Santos defined to NBCSports.com {that a} skater who will get worn out by a competitor can in some instances be superior into the following spherical. There is no such thing as a second likelihood within the remaining, although.

“They’re not going to provide the gold medal,” Santos stated, “as a result of someone took you out within the final lap.”

And that’s precisely what occurred. 

The unpredictability of the game “could be actually irritating and laborious to cope with,” Santos stated, “and that’s what provides me quite a lot of nervousness earlier than a race, however on the similar time, I believe that’s what retains the game so thrilling.

“The quickest particular person doesn’t all the time win. It comes right down to race technique. It comes right down to a bit little bit of luck, it comes right down to preparation. Each little factor.”

She stated she goes into races with a tough plan, “however actually that’s altering 10 million instances all through the complete race. That’s one thing that retains it so thrilling. Although we’re moving into a circle for 9 laps for that race, it’s totally different each single time.”

For a lot of this World Cup season, the one fixed was Santos’ place as a contender.

The 27-year-old from Fairfield, Connecticut, gained bronze medals within the 1000 and 1500 at this similar venue to open the World Cup season, after which captured her first World Cup gold within the 1000m in Nagoya, Japan. That gold was the primary by any U.S. quick monitor pace skater in 4 years, the primary particular person U.S. win in seven years and the primary by an American girl since Lana Gehring gained the 1000 and 1500 in February 2012.

“I look as much as Kristen in so some ways,” stated Stoddard, 20, who can also be a first-time Olympian. “She’s like an enormous sister to me, but in addition a very large function mannequin as an athlete for me. And I used to be actually unhappy to see her go down, particularly as a result of it wasn’t her fault advert she was simply going for that medal. However I do know she’s going to do superb issues within the 1500.”

Stoddard may even compete within the 1500, and was inspired by her outcome within the 1000.

“It’s loopy; I didn’t count on us to all get high 10,” stated Stoddard, who wore a numbing patch on her nostril after smashing it in a crash within the 500. “It’s actually, actually cool. It reveals how robust we’re and the way robust we’re going to be within the subsequent Olympics.”

However for now, Santos wants to come back to phrases with these Video games.

“It’s positively laborious,” she stated, “For me, I’m somebody who I’ll positively have to offer myself the night time to be upset. However at the back of my thoughts, I additionally must be happy with myself on the similar time and know that whereas the scenario was unlucky, I do know I can podium. I do know that I’m right here and I is usually a medal contender.”

And he or she’ll have assist from Biney and Stoddard.

“I believe I’ve probably the most supportive teammates on this planet,” Santos stated. “I do know that I couldn’t be extra happy with any of their success and I can really feel that from them and that’s so essential. They know me truthfully higher than I do know myself. Once I’m sitting there freaking out earlier than a race, they’ll come over and so they know precisely what to say to get me to settle down and it’s actually, actually useful.”