ISU

On the last 10 occasions it has been contested, Martina Sáblíková (CZE) has won the Ladies’ 5000m title at the ISU World Single Distances Championships, so when she clocked a world record over the distance on Saturday in Salt Lake City, it seemed only a miracle could keep her from claiming an 11th consecutive gold. That miracle went by the name of Natalya Voronina. After Sáblíková's 6:41.18, the 25-year-old Russian broke the 6:40 barrier with 6:39.02 to seize her first major international title. In the 1000m, 21-year-old Jutta Leerdam grabbed her first world title, and the first individual gold for the Netherlands, three days into the tournament.

There were mixed feelings all over the place after the Ladies’ 500m on Friday. Nao Kodaira (JPN) won the world title, but finished outside the world record she wanted to break, while Angelina Golikova missed out on the gold medal but secured the Russian record for at least another year. In the Ladies’ Team Pursuit, Japan did skate a world record to retain their title. The Netherlands took silver while Canada  went home with bronze.

Graeme Fish (CAN) won the gruelling men's 10000m after an enthralling battle of attrition to kick-off a spectacular second day of competition at the World Single Distances Championships in Salt Lake City on Friday. The 22-year-old Canadian smashed his team-mate and mentor Ted-Jan Bloemen's world record by almost three seconds in 12:33.86. Bloemen took silver and Patrick Beckert (GER) seized bronze. In the men's 500m Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) overcame a dislocated shoulder to take gold in 33.72 seconds. His compatriot Ruslan Murashov became the third ever skater to break the 34-second barrier to take silver in 33.99 while Japan’s Tatsuya Shinhama collected the bronze medal. 

Ted-Jan Bloemen already had an Olympic title and two world records under his belt, but going into the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Salt Lake City he had never won a world title. The Dutch-born Canadian put that right in the men's 5000m. With Graeme Fish coming third and Jordan Belchos fifth, Canada could boast three skaters in the top-five. Eight-time 5000m champion Sven Kramer (NED) took silver. Canada looked to have won the Men's Team Sprint too, but were disqualified for an illegal changeup and the Netherlands ran away with the gold medal.

"It’s always like the first time," smiled Martina Sáblíková (CZE), holding her precious gold medal tight. The 32-year-old star of the long distances grabbed her sixth career 3000m world title and her 16th overall at the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships. Olympic champion Carlijn Achtereekte (NED) took silver and Natalya Voronina (RUS) came third in Salt Lake City on Thursday. In the Ladies’ Team Sprint, the Netherlands retained their world title, with junior Femke Kok as starting skater.

The pinnacle of the 2019/20 season will be held on the fastest ice of the world. It should be a recipe for world records, but there are no guarantees. Last season the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final at the Utah Olympic Oval in Salt Lake City (USA) featured thee world records in the Men's competition. Multiple skaters could break the magic 1:06 barrier in the 1000m, after Nuis set the world record at 1.06,18 last year. Nuis and his team mate Thomas Krol (NED) are a bit more tentative about record speeds. "It all depends on the conditions," Krol said. The lower the air pressure, the better it is for speed.

The eyes of the Salt Lake City home crowd will be on world record holder Brittany Bowe (USA) defending her title in the 1000m at the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships on Saturday, but there's a lot more exciting racing to enjoy. Will Martina Sáblíková (CZE) be able to bring the last standing Calgary world record to Salt Lake City, will Miho Takagi (JPN) win her first individual ISU World Singe Distances Speed Skating title in the 1500m or will Ireen Wüst (NED) be able to skate a world record in that event for the first time in her career?

Want to find out who won the ISU World Cup speed skating in Calgary (CAN)? Have a look at these videos. 

After having hosted the first leg of the Senior ISU World Cup Speed Skating last November, Minsk will be home to the ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating Final this weekend. Gabriel Odor (AUT) and Robin Groot (NED) represent the future of international Speed Skating, defending their leads in multiple events in the Belarussian capital. Dutch prodigy Femke Kok will not be present, because she'll compete at the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Salt Lake City this week. Kok will be present at the ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships in Tomaszów Mazowiecki next week.

The last ISU World Cup Speed Skating event before the Final was held in Calgary (CAN) this weekend. We have selected some of the best pictures for you to check out. 

With a display of unmatched power and composure Pavel Kulizhnikov, seized his second medal of the Calgary World Cup weekend, winning the men's 1000m on Saturday to go with his silver in the 500m from Friday. The Russian sprinter was more than half a second faster than his Dutch rivals Thomas Krol and Kjeld Nuis. After three Russian victories in the Men's tournament, Patrick Roest concluded the fifth leg of the World Cup with the only gold for the Netherlands, edging out home favorite Ted-Jan Bloemen by just 0.02secs in the 5000m.

The Japanese ladies boosted their confidence heading into next week's ISU World Single Distance Championships in Salt Lake City, taking their tally to three golds over the World Cup weekend. Miho Takagi smashed Brittany Bowe's 2015 track record by 1.26 seconds to win the 1500m on the final day in Calgary, while Nao Kodaira added 500m gold to her win in Friday's 1000m.

Nao Kodaira (JPN) looks as sharp as a razor blade gearing up to next week’s world championships in Salt Lake City. The Japanese sprinter took her first 1000m World Cup gold of the season in a season's-best time of 1:12.65 on Friday. Martina Sáblíková (CZE) is also looking in great shape as the season's climax approaches, winning the 3000m on the first day of the ISU World Cup at the Olympic Oval in Calgary.

Russia’s men have fired a warning message to their rivals ahead of next week’s world championships in Salt Lake City with a dominant display on day one of the fifth leg of the ISU World Cup in Calgary. Ruslan Murashov, Pavel Kulizhnikov and Viktor Mushtakov swept the podium in the opening 500m with the smallest possible margin between them, while teammate Denis Yuskov went on to triumph in the 1500m.

Who is in shape, who is not, and who is hiding? The fifth leg in this season's ISU World Cup Speed Skating this weekend at the Olympic Oval in Calgary is last test for the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships next week in Salt Lake City. Kjeld Nuis, Thomas Krol and Patrick Roest (NED) all qualified to skate the men's 1500m in Calgary, but decided to skip that distance to save energy. Other skaters will use the ISU World Cup Speed Skating to regain rhythm after a couple of weeks without competition.