Rule book is the final nail in coffin for skater’s campaign
It seemed that the falls were destined to down Elise Christie as she pursued her Olympic dreams that had been dashed in such cruel fashion four years earlier. Only for the enforcement of the rules finally to floor them.
After being sent sprawling across the ice in the 500m and 1,500m events to damage her ankle and put any further participation in jeopardy, yesterday she stayed on her feet in the 1,000m qualifiers. At a second attempt.
The Livingston 27-year-old initially endured a collision that had her spinning into the bumpers once more. However, this occurred in the first bend, meaning that the race could be restarted. On finishing second in the rerun and thinking that she had secured a place in today’s quarterfinals she was disqualified after appearing to fall foul of the contentious rules regarding crossovers.
In a bruising race the GB competitor seemed to block a rival coming through on her left on the inside lane after earlier clashing with another when she was in a central position. These incidents were regarded as contravening the crossover rules which cover contact.
These state that “skaters are required to change lanes once during each lap because the inner lane of the speed skating oval covers a shorter distance than the outer lane.
“The lane-change takes place when a skater arrives at the crossing straight (the back straight opposite the finish area) and the right of way is given to the skater switching from the outer to the inner lane. The skater leaving the inner lane is considered responsible for collisions, unless the other skater acts in an obstructive way. The exception to the crossover requirement is the first lap of the 1,000m and 1,500m .”