Norwegian speed skater Sander Eitrem made history by breaking the men’s 5000m world record at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup held in Inzell, Germany. Eitrem completed the race in a remarkable time of 5 minutes and 58.52 seconds, becoming the first athlete to achieve a sub-six-minute performance in the event. The previous record of 6:00.23 was set by French skater Timothy Loubineaud in Salt Lake City, USA, in November.
The 23-year-old Eitrem, who had finished third in the long distances overall standings, displayed a mix of shock and joy as he crossed the finish line at the Max Aicher Arena. He threw his goggles in the air in celebration before placing his hands on his head in disbelief. In an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Eitrem expressed his astonishment, stating, “I am still speechless. It probably hasn’t fully sunk in yet. Being the first under six minutes has been a dream since I was little, so the fact that I actually am the first, it’s incredibly big.”
In the competition, Loubineaud finished more than five seconds behind Eitrem in third place, while Czech skater MetodÄ›j JÃlek secured the second spot with a time of 6:01.98, earning the top position overall. American skater Jordan Stolz continued his winning streak by clinching victory in the final 1000m race of the World Cup. Stolz also claimed the top spot in the overall standings after triumphing in all five races and adding to his 1500m title win on Friday. Additionally, Stolz holds a commanding lead in the 500m standings ahead of the upcoming final race on Sunday.
Canadian athlete Ted-Jan Bloemen ended up at the bottom of the 5000m event with a time of 6:25.172, more than 26 seconds behind Eitrem’s record-breaking performance. The speed skating events at the upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Games are scheduled to take place from February 7 to 21.
