On Sunday, Norway achieved a remarkable double victory as Sander Eitrem overtook American reigning champion Jordan Stolz to claim the men’s all-round title, while Ragne Wiklund made history by becoming the first Norwegian woman in nearly nine decades to win the women’s title at the speed skating world championships held in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
The championship concluded four days of thrilling competition in the packed Thialf arena, where Dutch victories by Jenning de Boo and Femke Kok on Friday had set an electric atmosphere for the all-round events.
The all-round championship, regarded as one of the most esteemed accolades in speed skating, evaluates competitors over a challenging series of sprint and endurance events: 500 meters, 3,000 meters, 1,500 meters, and 5,000 meters for women, and 500 meters, 5,000 meters, 1,500 meters, and 10,000 meters for men.
In the men’s competition, Stolz entered the final day with the overall lead after securing victory in the 500 meters and delivering a strong performance in the 5,000 meters on Saturday, even as Eitrem set a new Thialf track record in that distance. However, Stolz’s lead diminished in the final two events on Sunday.
Eitrem, the Olympic champion in the 5,000 meters and a world record holder, was the second-fastest in the 1,500 meters behind Stolz but unleashed a powerful performance in the 10,000 meters. Competing alongside Stolz in the last pair, Eitrem’s exceptional endurance allowed him to lap Stolz, a rare feat for the Olympic champion in the 500 and 1,000 meters.
Stolz, who had participated in all four sprint events earlier in the week, ran out of steam. Clearly fatigued, he struggled to the finish and ultimately placed fourth overall.
Eitrem crossed the finish line with his arms raised in triumph, while his coach celebrated enthusiastically as the crowd erupted in cheers.
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Dutch athletes Jenning de Boo, Femke Kok dominate Day 1 of long track worlds
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Wiklund earns 2nd Olympic silver, 3rd medal in Milan
Czech rising star and Olympic gold medalist in the 10,000 meters, Metodej Jilek, secured the silver medal, while Poland’s Vladimir Semirunniy took home the bronze.
Wiklund, 25, had shared the overnight lead with Japanese legend Miho Takagi following a dominant win in the 3,000 meters on Saturday. On Sunday, she solidified her lead by clocking the third-fastest time in the 1,500 meters before delivering an outstanding performance in the 5,000 meters.
Competing in the final pair with Takagi—Japan’s most decorated Winter Olympian with ten medals and participating in the last race of her career—Wiklund leveraged her strength in long-distance skating to gradually pull ahead.
As she crossed the finish line, Wiklund, who previously won silver in the 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters and bronze in the 5,000 meters at the Milano-Cortina Games, smiled broadly while wrapping the Norwegian flag around her shoulders.
Dutch skater Marijke Groenewoud, the Olympic mass-start champion, earned the silver medal, while the 31-year-old Takagi added a final highlight to her illustrious career by securing the bronze.
