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“This is the event I’ve been looking forward to the whole year,” said Irene Schouten (NED) two days before the ISU World Single Distance Championships, which start on Thursday. The defending 5000m Champion is not the only one. After an exciting and exhausting World Cup Series, the tournament at the 1988 Olympic Oval in Calgary is the pinnacle of the speed skating season. Last year, Jordan Stolz (USA) won a record three individual events, but that doesn’t change his feelings going into the races. “(I don’t feel) more pressure, maybe there’s more expectations,’ he said.

Milestone man Stolz

Winning gold medals in last year’s 500m, 1000m and 1500m, Stolz achieved milestone after milestone. He  became the first man to win three individual events in one edition. At the age of 18, he also became the youngest speed skater (male and female) to win gold in the history of the world single distances championships.

 Jordan Stolz (USA) celebrates during the ISU World Speed Skating Championships 2023 Heerenveen, (NED). @ISU

In the run-up to this season’s World Championships Stolz set a phenomenal world record in the 1000m (1:05.37) at the Salt Lake City World Cup in January, leaving his rivals 1.60s behind. The American youngster looks set for another string of milestones in Calgary. He might become the second skater to finish on the podium in three individual events at two different World Single Distance Championships after Dutch Sven Kramer in 2008 (won 5000m, 10000m, silver in 1500m) and 2017 ((won 5000m, 10000m, bronze in 1500m). he can become the first man to win gold in the 500m event at successive world single distances championships since Pavel Kulizhnikov (RUS) in 2015 and 2016, and the third man to win successive titles in the 1000m as well as in the 1500.

 Jordan Stolz (USA) competes during the ISU World Speed Skating Championships 2023 in Heerenveen (NED). @ISU

Stolz is aware of the expectations, but it doesn’t seem to bother him too much.

“Winning one World Championships medal is already pretty amazing,” he said. “We’ll see what I can do this weekend.”

Sprint rivals

Stolz’ tournament starts with the 500m on Friday, in which he faces competition from sprinting powerhouse Japan, with World Cup winner Wataru Morishige, Yuma Murakami and Tatsuya Shinhama, Korea’s Kim Jun-Ho, 2021 world champion Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) and a strong Polish sprint contingent.

 Yuma Murakami (JPN), Wataru Morishige (JPN) and Junho Kim (KOR) pose during the ISU World Cup in Beijing (CHN). @ISU

Marek Kania, Piotr Michalski and Damian Zurek (POL) showed how they’ve grown into the season when they took Team Sprint gold at the final World Cup event two weeks ago in Quebec. Kania also took individual silver and Michalski bronze behind Stolz.

Yuma Murakami (JPN), Wataru Morishige (JPN) Junho Kim (KOR) pose ISU World Cup in Beijing (CHN). @ISU

After their strong Quebec outing, the Polish men also set their sights on a Team Sprint medal at the World Championships. That event is scheduled on Thursday afternoon. Canada defends it’s title, entering the competition with anchor Laurent Dubreuil again.

 

Nuis draws confidence from YouTube video

In the 1000m on Saturday, Stolz’ main rivals will be World Cup winner Ning Zhongyan (CHN), again Tatsuya Shinhama and European champion Kjeld Nuis (NED). The latter left the track with a neck brace after a nasty crash at the fifth World Cup in Salt Lake City in January. The ramifications forced him to stay in Utah and skip the final World Cup in Quebec, but two days ahead of the World Championshipos, Nuis said he was fully recovered. The Dutchman draws confidence from the fact that he beat Stolz in the 1500m at the World Cup last season at the very same Olympic Oval in Calgary.

“I’ve got that video in my favorites. I watched it at least three times in one hour while sitting on the indoor bike trainer yesterday. It just feels good, that’s only one year ago.”

 

Yet, because of his bumpy run-up to the World Championships, Nuis doesn’t consider himself a favorite in either the 1000m or the 1500m.

“I just really haven’t got the slightest idea where I stand at the moment,” he said.

Bergsma back in long distance battle

Patrick Roest (NED) and Davide Ghiotto (ITA) dominated this season’s long distance World Cup season, with the Dutchman winning all 5000m races he skated, and the Italian winning the only 10,000m race and taking home the overall trophy.

Patrick Roest Davide Ghiotto ISU European Speed Skating Championships 202 Heerenveen (NED). @ISU

Apart from Roest and Ghiotto, Ted-Jan Bloemen (CAN) is another contender for long distance titles in Calgary. The 2018 10,000m Olympic champion won the last 5000m World Cup of the season in a track record time of 6:13.87 Quebec. The high altitude Calgary ice, Bloemen’s home track, normally suits his style even better than the sea-level track in Quebec.

Ted Jan Bloemen (CAN) competes during the ISU Speed Skating World Cup 2023 in Stavanger (NOR). @ISU

In the 10,000m, Jorrit Bergsma (NED) is back in the mix. The 38-year-old Dutchman did not qualify for the World Cups this season, but managed to grab the second Dutch ticket for the longest distance at the World Championships. He likes the Olympic oval in Calgary.

“I skated three of my personal best times (1500m, 3000m, 5000m) here, so yes, the track does suit me well.”

Sáblíková chasing milestone

In the women’s competition, Martina Sáblíková (CZE) is chasing another milestone. The 36-year-old Czech veteran has already won a women's record 16 world single distance titles and a record 10 titles in the 5000m. No other speed skater, male or female, has won more than eight world titles in a single event. In Calgary, Sáblíková can become the oldest winner of an individual event at the world single distances championships, surpassing Bob de Jong (35 in 2012; men's 1000m) and Joey Mantia (35 in 2021; men's mass start).

Martina Sablikova (CZE) competes during the ISU World Cup Speed Skating 2023 in Stavanger (NOR). @ISU

In order to become the oldest world single distance champion ever, Sáblíková who skates the 3000m on Thursday and the 5000m on Sunday, has to deal with tough competition. Irene Schouten is one of the favorites in the 3000m, the 5000 and the Mass Start events. The triple Olympic champion suffered from illness last week. On Tuesday she explained:

“It’s the bad cold that many skaters suffered from, it forced me to really take some rest over the past couple of days. Normally I always train a lot in the run-up to races, and now not so much.” Having recovered, the illness did not seem to worry Schouten too much: “I’ve skated well while not being one hundred percent before.”

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) defends her 3000m title, but her performances were hampered by from sickness and back problems in January. The 23-year-old Norwegian still managed to secure the long distance World Cup Trophy, but looking forward to the World Championships she said:

“I think I still have a chance, but I definitely go into worlds different than last year. Then I had a lot of confidence and now I’m coming from behind.”

 

Netherlands-Canada in Mass Start

In the Mass Start on Saturday, Schouten will get company from long time teammate and defending champion Marijke Groenewoud (NED). As European 3000m and Mass Start champion, Groenewoud is one of the favorites in those events at the World Championships too.

Marijke Groenewoud (NED) celebrates at the ISU European Speed Skating Championships 2024 in Heerenveen (NED). @ISU

In the Mass Start, Schouten and Groenewoud have to deal with the Canadian couple Valérie Maltais and Ivanie Blondin, who finished first and second in the World Cup classification this season.

If the Dutch and Canadian couples are not able to live up to the expectations, Mia Manganello Kilburg (USA) and Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) could be the first to spoil their party.

Tight battle in women’s sprint

The women’s 500m is an interesting battle between Olympic champion Erin Jackson (USA), Kim Min Sun (KOR), Kimi Goetz (USA) and Femke Kok (NED).

Min Sun Kim (KOR) Erin Jackson (USA) and Femke Kok (NED) pose ouring the ISU World Cup in Quebec (CAN). @ISU

 Olympic champion Jackson managed to hold off Kim Min Sun (KOR) in a tight battle for the World Cup trophy at the last event in Quebec two weeks ago, but Kok won the last race of the World Cup season. Goetz skipped the Quebec World Cup, and ended just outside the podium in the classification.

The title Takagi hasn’t won yet

Miho Takagi (JPN) won this season’s 1500m and 1000m World Cup trophies confidently. The Japanese superstar has won almost everything in speed skating, the World Allround title, the World Sprint title, the Olympic 1000m title and countless World Cup races, but she never won an individual title at the World Single Distance Championships just yet.

Miho Takagi (JPN) Jutta Leerdam (NED) and Antoinette Rijpma De Jong (NED) pose during the ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Stavanger (NOR). @ISU

In the 1500m, Takagi went undefeated this season, but in the 1000m, Jutta Leerdam (NED) was able to beat her twice. The defending world champion has been struggling with a stiff ankle lately, however. Although she insists that it’s not an injury, the stiff ankle seems to hamper her technique. Leerdam starts in the 500m on Friday, before skating her favorite 1000m on Saturday.

Program

Thursday 15 February:

3000m Women

5000m Men

Team Sprint Women

Team Sprint Men

 

Friday 16 February:

Team Pursuit Women

Team Pursuit Men

500m Women

500m Men

 

Saturday 17 February

1000m Women

1000m Men

Mass Start Women Final

Mass Start Men Final

 

Sunday 18 February

5000m Women

10000m Men

1500m Women

1500m Men