OBIHIRO, JAPAN – 8 December 2010
After a successful European campaign to open the 2010-2011 World Cup season, Shani Davis enjoyed only a moment at home before landing in Obihiro, Japan, for a sprint World Cup December 11-12.
The reigning 1000m Overall World Cup Champion opted to skip last weekend’s World Cup sprint event in China following three consecutive European events in November. Unlike most sprinters, Shani races both 1500 meters and 5000 meters on the World Cup circuit, a degree of unmatched versatility that also requires him to carefully map out his racing — and travel — schedule to conserve energy over the course of the long season.
For the first time in many seasons, Shani now prepares for the challenge of having to overcome a significant points deficit in the overall 1000m World Cup standings. In China, Dutchman Stefan Groothuis’s pair of 1000m wins moved him to the top of the overall leader board.� The 200 points Shani garnered from his European victories now place him 4th in the season standings.
After Japan, the ISU World Cup circuit pauses until mid-January. In the interim, Shani returns stateside to prepare for the U.S. Championships in Salt Lake City, Dec. 30-Jan. 4, where he’ll seek to earn berths in multiple 2011 ISU World Championships.
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