Jutta Leerdam and Ragne Wiklund broke track records during the World Cup speed skating event in Inzell, Germany, signaling strong performances ahead of the Winter Olympics.
According to NOS Schaatsen in the Netherlands, Leerdam won the 1,000 meters with a new track record of 1:12.75, surpassing her previous record of 1:12.86. On the 3,000 meters, Norwegian skater Ragne Wiklund also set a new record with a time of 3:54.74, nearly a second faster than the previous record held by Joy Beune. Beune finished second in 3:56.96, with Canadian Valerie Maltais taking bronze at 3:59.92.
Leerdam secured a clear victory over Miho Takagi, who finished second with a 1:13.43, and Femke Kok, who clocked 1:13.67 for third place. Despite challenges earlier in the Olympic qualification event, including a fall, Leerdam maintained her favored position for the 1,000 meters. Kok won the overall World Cup classification in this distance for the season, having previously won a World Cup event in Calgary. The direct competition between Leerdam and Kok in Inzell ended with Leerdam leading comfortably after overcoming a difficult final bend.
Meanwhile, on the 3,000 meters, Beune aimed to challenge the leading time set by Wiklund but struggled in the latter part of the race. Other notable performances included Marijke Groenewoud finishing eighth in 4:02.95, and Bente Kerkhoff placing sixteenth with a 4:09.66. In the women’s 1,000 meters, Marrit Fledderus competed against Takagi, finishing eighth, while Suzanne Schulting posted a time of 1:15.21 in the B-group earlier in the day.
