Masaaki Kobayashi fastest opening 100m in 9.37 during 500m speed skating - Berlin 2003

Masaaki Kobayashi opens in 9.37 on the 100 meter during the 500 meters in Berlin. World Distance Championships 14 march 2003. On 12 Nov 2021 Tingyu Gao opened in 9.32 (34.26) during world cup in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland ( / 1459185619012308992 )
Masaaki Kobayashi opent in 9.37 op de 100 meter tijdens de 500 meter in Berlijn. WK afstanden 14 maart 2003. Speedskating / Schaatsen. Op 12 Nov 2021 opende Tingyu Gao in 9.32 (34.26) tijdens de world cup in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Polen ( / 1459185619012308992 )

[@MarcelVos]

It's fun to come back to this video every once in a while, just for the nostalgia of what's still the 3rd fastest opener ever.
It's also fun to see my old comments from 2012 back from when I still very ignorant about speedskating, and my Tweets about Gao's 9.32 linked in the description. It very nicely shows how my knowledge of speedskating progressed.

[@Tjarkv]

@ManiacMarcel Yes, but remember this race is in Berlin, a low/sea-level ice track, not Salt Lake or Calgary. Btw: Wotherspoons best race in my opinion was the worldcup race in Hamar (also sea level) in which he raced 34.31 (26-1-2008). IF he raced that race in SL/Cal, it would have been a 33.xx. Too bad that race isn't on youtube.

[@michealissa1638]

gao 9.32 opening race ? can you upload that race ?

[@ManiacMarcel]

@Tjarkv there is, wotherspoon opened 0,22 sec slower, but his final time is over a second faster.

[@user-qp3id8bo8w]

Если бы такой разгон был у Кулижникова...

[@TjarkVerhoeven]

Он бы проехал низкие 33!

[@reprepF1]

niet de enige kobayashi die snel is
Kamui Kobayashi is ook snel , maar in andere sport , google daar maar es op

[@basrare]

;o Wist niet dat Kobayashi de snelste 100m ooit had, zeker wel knap gedaan. Schaatst hij eigenlijk nog? ik hoor al enkele jaren niks meer van hem.

[@clumsy123]

Man, the way he poses before the start. Like a cat ready to pounce. But that opening is too fast, see how he is out of energy the last 100 metres. Best to save some to the end.

[@TheDotARampage]

@ManiacMarcel even if wotherspoon was faster at 500 m, it doens't meen that Kobayashi would have been faster if he had spared more energy at the first 100. wotherspoon was better, that's how simple it is, but if wotherspoon had been faster at the first 100, he'd be faster at goal too

[@larsscheen]

A bit false start, but very good:)

[@Tjarkv]

There is no such thing as opening too fast on a 500m.

[@michael.knight]

False start or perfect start?

[@TjarkVerhoeven]

It isn't false if the starter doesn't whistle ;)

[@willownss]

@clumsy123 haha do you know anything about speed skating? too fast? tired at the end? his lap just isn't as good as his opener. its a 500m

[@bluebluer1632]

they have sports for everything nowadays

[@jerrysmith8711]

started in 1863 i guess thats kind of "nowadays"

[@Uttrediay]

@@jerrysmith8711 Speedskating was old in 1863. First known races 1466, first international races 1763.