Sander Eitrem of Norway enters the 10,000m speed skating event at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics as the favorite following his recent victory in the 5000m race. The event features a select group of 12 elite skaters competing at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium.
According to ISU Skating, the field in the 10,000m event includes multiple former Olympic champions, the current World Champion and World Record holder, as well as the reigning European Champion. Despite the high level of competition, Eitrem maintains a straightforward approach to the race, emphasizing relaxation and treating it as a normal competition to achieve speed.
Among Eitrem’s main competitors is Metoděj Jílek from the Czech Republic, who won the only 10,000m race in the current World Cup season held in Heerenveen. Jílek finished ahead of the World Record holder Davide Ghiotto of Italy by nearly four seconds, while Eitrem placed fourth in that event. Timothy Loubineaud of France, who had multiple podium finishes in long-distance World Cup races, also seeks to improve on his recent fifth-place finish in the Olympic 5000m.
European Champion Vladimir Semirunniy from Poland is another contender to watch, having recorded the fastest 10,000m time of the season during a B Division race in Heerenveen. Meanwhile, Ghiotto, who holds the current World Record set last season, approaches the 10,000m as his primary focus in the Milan Olympics after narrowly missing a podium place in the 5000m.
The event will also feature experienced competitors Jorrit Bergsma of the Netherlands and Ted-Jan Bloemen of Canada, both previous Olympic gold medalists in the 10,000m. At 40 years old, Bergsma is the oldest competitor in the long track speed skating event and views the race as an opportunity to perform well despite strong competition. Bloemen hopes to make a memorable final Olympic appearance.
The competition is scheduled to begin at 16:00 local time on 13 February at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Records relevant to the event include Ghiotto’s World Record time of 12:25.69 and the Olympic Record of 12:30.74 set by Nils van der Poel in Beijing 2022.
