Gold and Universiade record for home favourite Nenzi at Trentino 2013

By Gary Anderson at Baselga di Pine in Trento

December 17 - Italy's Mirko Giacomo Nenzi thrilled the home crowds here at the Ice Rink in Baselga di Pine today as he skated his way to 1,000 metre gold, setting a Winter Universiade record in the process at Trentino 2013.

The 24-year-old bettered his 500m and 1,500m silver medals from earlier in the week as he saw off the challenge of Poland's double Universiade champion Jan Mark Szymanski and Chinese Taipei's Sung Ching-Yang.

In doing so, Nenzi clocked a time of 1min 09.32sec to break the Games record set by compatriot and former Olympic champion Enrico Fabris who set a time of 1:09.68 at Turin 2007.

"I really did not expect to be able to do a similar time [to Fabris]," said the winner.

"The dedication is to my coaches Donagrandi Stefano and Giorgio Baroni, who introduced me to this specialty and I have followed with great passion."

Vancouver 2010 champion Martina Sablikova was also in scintillating form and followed the lead of Nenzi by setting a Universiade record of 7:05.17 to finish a massive 12 seconds clear of South Korean duo Kim Bo Reum and Park Doyoung.

The Czech skater shattered the previous record of 7:14.:72 set by Austria's Anna Natalia Rokita.

"Setting such a time on this outdoor rink and improving a long-time existing record is really fantastic," said Sablikova, who also won 3,000m gold here.

"My condition on long distances is good, but I'm not skating well in the 500m and 1,500m.

"For this reason, I still don't know if I will take part in the All-Around European Championships in Hamar [taking place on January 11 and 12].

"My real target is the Olympic Games of Sochi."

Olympic champion Martina Sablikova showed her class once again by shattering the Universiade 5000m record today ©Beppo Cadrobbi/Trentino 2013 Universiade

At Monte Bondone, China and Spain reigned supreme in the snowboard half-pipe competitions as Li Shuang bettered her third place at Erzurum 2011 by leading compatriots Sun Zhifeng and Xu Xiujuan in the women's competition.

China was among the medals in the men's competition too, but Hu Yi had to settle for silver behind Spaniard Ruben Verges, while Switzerland's Rafael Imhof took bronze.

At Val di Fassa Jonas Fabre of France secured the men's giant slalom gold ahead of teammate Thibaut Favrot and Giulio Bosca of Italy who both clocked an identical time of 1:48.02 to share the silver medal.

In Lago di Tesero two more athletes had to share a medal, but this time it was gold as Ukrainian Kateryna Grygorenko and Astrid Oeyre Slind of Norway completed the women's 5km cross-country free race in 13:27.1, with an another Ukrainian Maryna Antsybor taking the bronze medal.

Milanko Petrovic celebrates his second gold and third medal overall at Trentino 2013 ©Pierre Teyssot/Trentino 2013 Universiade

Serbia's Milanko Petrovic bagged his third medal of Trentino 2013, and his second gold as he took the men's 10km race in a time of 23:57.4 with Michail Semenov of Belarus and Russian Raul Shakirzianov rounding out the podium.

"I am very satisfied because I've won both in biathlon and in cross-country," said 25-year-old Petrovic.

"Now it would be great to also take part in [the] Sochi Olympic Games."

Today also saw the conclusion of the group stages of the men's and women's curling competitions.