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Ireen Wust (NED) and Sven Kramer (NED) say farewell to supporters during the Speed Skating World Cup Final in Heerenveen (NED) @GettyImages

Olympic seasons are always special, but some are more special than others. The 2022 Beijing Olympic Winter Games marked the end of an era, and cast a light onto Speed Skating’s bright future at the same time.

Dutch legends Sven Kramer and Ireen Wüst hung up their blades after their fifth Olympic campaign, as did two-time Olympian Nils van der Poel (SWE) after having come, seen and conquered the men’s long distances.

Nils Van Der Poel (SWE) celebrates during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

Records were shattered, long-lasting dreams finally came true and Olympic fairy tales were written, as Irene Schouten (NED) won three gold medals and a bronze in Beijing, Miho Takagi (JPN) seized the women’s 1000m gold, Erin Jackson (USA) took the women’s 500m title, and Gao Tingyu (CHN) grabbed the men’s 500m gold on home soil.

Seventeen years at the top

Ireen Wust and Sven Kramer (NED) say farewell to supporters during the Speed Skating World Cup Final in Heerenveen (NED) @GettyImages

Sven Kramer and Ireen Wüst (NED) entered the international Speed Skating stage in 2005 and have been omnipresent ever since, winning medals at the 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 Olympics.

Ireen Wust and and Sven Kramer (NED) hold their medals in Groningen Airport Eelde (NED) returning from the 2014 Olympic Winter Games @GettyImages

Kramer had back surgery in the summer of 2021 in an ultimate attempt to add another Olympic medal to the four gold, two silvers and three bronze he already collected. He managed to qualify for Beijing, but had to settle for ninth place in the 5000m and 16^th in the Mass Start.

Sven Kramer (NED) competes during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

 

Wüst rises to the occasion

Ireen Wust (NED) visits the Hall of Knights at Noordeinde Palace in 2022 in The Hague (NED) @GettyImages

Wüst came into Beijing (CHN) as the most decorated athlete in Speed Skating already, but she had not been able to dominate the ice over the past seasons, as she had been before. However, she still managed to do it again at the 2022 Olympics

Rising to the occasion like no other, Wüst added yet another Olympic title to her sheer endless list of honors. In a new Olympic record of 1 minute and 53.28 seconds, she took her career third Olympic 1500m gold, her career sixth Olympic gold in total and her 12th Olympic medal.Takagi, who had dominated the World Cup so far, came 0.44s short to take silver, but her Olympic glory was yet to come.

Indomitable Van der Poel

Nils van der Poel (SWE) and Patrick Roest (NED) competes during the ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Hamar (NOR) @ISU (International Skating Union)

With Kramer not being able to compete for the title after three consecutive Olympic 5000m golds, Patrick Roest (NED) and Nils van der Poel (SWE) were the main contenders. The Swedish long distance specialist already won the 5000m and 10.000m world titles in 2021, and set a new 5000m world record in 6 minutes and 1,56 seconds at the World Cup in Salt Lake City (USA) on 3 December 2021.

In Beijing (CHN) Van der Poel barely managed to keep Roest at bay in an exciting 5000m battle, before astonishing the world winning the 10,000m in a world record time at the National Speed Skating Oval. The Swede skated 12 minutes and 30.74 seconds, with Roest coming second at 13.85 seconds.

Nils van der Poel (SWE) poses during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

Roest was looking for revenge at the World Allround Championships in Hamar (NOR) on 5-6 March, but again bit the dust. Going into the final 10,000m with a 21-second gap over Van der Poel, Roest was not able to hold on to his lead after his opponent set a track record of 12:41.46 at the Vikingskipet. Van der Poel bid farewell to Speed Skating winning the long distance World Cup at the final in Heerenveen (NED) a week later.

Nils van der Poel (SWE) competes during the World Cup in Heerenveen (NED) @ISU (International Skating Union)

Roest, who missed out on the World Cup final due to a Covid-19 infection, regretted the goodbye of his Swedish nemesis, saying: “On the podium I said to him that I’ve heard that Swedish national anthem just about a little too much now. He’s just superstrong this season. I’ve done everything I could, but it was not enough. It’s a pity he quits, because I really would like to challenge him again.”

Nils van der Poel (SWE) and Patrick Roest (NED) celebrate during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

Dream season for Schouten

Irene Schouten (NED) visits the Hall of Knights at Noordeinde Palace in 2022 in The Hague (NED) @GettyImages

While Van der Poel dominated the men’s long distances over the past two seasons. Irene Schouten (NED) was equally impressive in the women’s endurance events. The 29-year-old Dutchwoman won the long distance World Cup, without losing a single race. She celebrated three Olympic golds (3000m, 5000m and Mass Start) and a bronze (Team Pursuit) in Beijing (CHN), and put the icing on the cake winning the World Allround title.

Nils van der Poel (SWE) and Irene Schouten (NED) pose during he ISU World Speed Skating Championships (NED) @ISU (International Skating Union)

“Jillert (coach Jilltert Anema, NED) said that all great champions have won a World Allround title, so I really wanted this one,” she said in Hamar (NOR).

Takagi finds redemption

Miho Takagi (JPN),  Irene Schouten (NED) and Antoinette de Jong (NED) pose during he ISU World Speed Skating Championships (NED) @ISU (International Skating Union)

Miho Takagi (JPN) came second at the World Allround Championships in Hamar (NOR), but the Japanese skater had already found redemption in Beijing (CHN) a month earlier. After having won almost everything she could over the past years, she still lacked individual Olympic gold coming into Beijing (CHN).

She again arrived as a favorite for multiple Olympic golds, but things did not pan out the way she had dreamed of. Takagi had to settle for a disappointing silver in the 1500m, won a surprise 500m silver, but lived through massive disappointment when her sister Nana crashed in the Team Pursuit, leaving Japan and Miho with yet another silver.

On the penultimate day of Speed Skating in Beijing (CHN), she finally found redemption, winning gold in the 1000m.

Jackson fairy tale

Erin Jackson (USA) elebrates during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

2018 Olympic 500m champion Nao Kodaira (JPN) was not able to show her best self last season due to injury trouble and she announced to quit the sport after the Japanese National Championships in October 2022. With the new Olympic Champion Erin Jackson (USA), the future of women’s sprinting looks bright, however. The 29-year-old American put on skates in 2016 for the first time, after having won seven Inline World Championship medals from 2010-18.

After initial struggles, she found her stride on the ice last season, winning three out of the first four World Cup races. Going into the American trials as World Cup leader, she failed to qualify for the Olympics after a mishap at the start. Friend and teammate Brittany Bowe, who had won the race, decided to forfeit her spot in favor of Jackson and Jackson paid back Bowe’s faith, becoming the first woman of color to take an Olympic Speed Skating medal.

Bowe said: “She is a role model for so many people, and I think what she did tonight is going to be a springboard to give so many little girls and boys the opportunity to look up to someone that they haven't been able to look at and relate to. So that goes far beyond what any of us could imagine, how many people, specifically little girls she's going to be touching. She's an incredible human, an incredible athlete.”

Erin Jackson (USA) and Brittany Bowe (USA) celebrate during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

 

Gao thrives on home soil

Gao Tingyu (CHN) celebrate during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

In the men’s 500m Gao Tingyu (CHN) wrote his own fairy tale. The Chinese sprinter, who already had won an Olympic bronze medal in 2018 but had been struggling with injury trouble since, took his career first World Cup victory in November in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (POL). He raised the bar in 500m skating with the fastest ever opener in 9.32s.

Gao was consistent throughout the season, however, and Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) managed to win the 500m World Cup. In Beijing (CHN) Gao again set a blistering opener of 9.42s, to finish in a new Olympic 500m record of 34.32s and secure the title. Dubreuil ended up fourth on the Olympic 500m podium, but found redemption with an unexpected 1000m silver a couple of days later

Gao Tingyu (CHN) poses during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

At the World Sprint Championships in Hamar (NOR), Dubreuil was en route to the title, but he tested positive for Covid-19 after Day 1 and had to quit the tournament. Thomas Krol (NED) stepped up to take the title.

Nuis and Krol reign middle distances

Thomas Krol (NED) poses during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

At age 29, Krol made his Olympic debut in Beijing (CHN), taking 1500m silver and 1000m gold. Together with compatriot Kjeld Nuis (32), who retained his Olympic 1500m title, Krol dominated the middle distances over the past three seasons and the Dutch couple doesn’t intend to give up their reign just yet.

Kjeld Nuis (NED) poses during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages

“I hope to hold on to this, to try and fight it out with Thomas (in the middle distances) up to Milan (ITA) (2026 Olympic Games),” Nuis said after winning the 1500m race at the World Cup final in Heerenveen (NED).