Norway’s Sander Eitrem claimed gold in the men’s 5000m speed skating event at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, setting a new Olympic record despite a challenging start to his race.
According to ISU Skating, Eitrem, who had recently set a world record at Inzell, completed the 5000m distance in 6 minutes and 3.95 seconds. The 22-year-old Norwegian overcame a stumble at the race’s outset to perform consistently, maintaining lap times under 29 seconds until the final lap.
Eitrem acknowledged the pressure of being a pre-race favorite, describing how he had to focus on remaining calm to perform his best. He expressed relief after crossing the finish line and emotional satisfaction following confirmation of his victory when competitors in the final pair were unable to beat his time.
Czech skater Metoděj Jílek secured the silver medal with a time 2.53 seconds behind Eitrem. Jílek, who also competed alongside Eitrem during the recent world record event, described the Norwegian as the man to beat and noted that despite his efforts, he could not match Eitrem’s pace in the last laps.
The bronze medal was claimed by Italian Riccardo Lorello, who delivered an unexpected performance in his hometown of Milan. Lorello finished with a time of 6 minutes and 9.22 seconds and expressed happiness at achieving a podium finish at his first Olympic Games, which allowed his grandparents to witness his accomplishment in person.
Other notable competitors included Davide Ghiotto, who came just short of Lorello’s time, and veterans Timothy Loubineaud and Ted-Jan Bloemen, who finished fifth and thirteenth respectively. Both Eitrem and Jílek were pleased with their performances, which reflected their preparations and strategies going into the event.
