Femke Kok of the Netherlands is preparing to continue her successful run in the women’s 500m speed skating event at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan, having not lost a race in this distance since early 2024.
The information is provided by the International Skating Union, the governing body for speed skating worldwide.
Kok has demonstrated remarkable form, breaking the 12-year-old world record previously held by Sang-Hwa Lee of South Korea by 0.27 seconds last November. Her closest competitor this season, Olympic Champion Erin Jackson from the United States, trails by nearly half a second. Kok, who already secured a silver medal in the 1000m event behind teammate Jutta Leerdam, regards the 500m as her primary focus for the Games.
Despite her confidence and eagerness to compete, Kok remains realistic about the challenges ahead, acknowledging that perfection is necessary in the 500m and that mistakes are always a risk. She expressed excitement about the event while keeping pressure in check.
Other notable contenders include Erin Jackson, who has been recovering from a chronic back injury but continues to compete at a high level, and Kaja Ziomek-Nogal of Poland, the reigning European champion who returned to competition after maternity leave. Also in the field are Jutta Leerdam, Sophie Warmuth of Germany, and Yukino Yoshida of Japan, all ranked among the top competitors this season.
The women’s 500m competition features 30 skaters across 15 delegations, with the race scheduled to begin at 17:03 local time at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium. Kok and Jackson will compete in the final pairing, highlighting the event’s competitive climax.
In the men’s speed skating program, the team pursuit event started with quarter-finals on Sunday and will continue through the semi-finals and medal races on Tuesday. The United States team, consisting of Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman, and Ethan Cepuran, enters as favorites having won the World Cup Trophy for five consecutive seasons but still seeking their first Olympic gold in the discipline. The competition includes eight teams representing various countries, and the matchups feature traditional rivals such as Japan, Germany, Italy, Norway, China, the Netherlands, France, and the USA.
The men’s team pursuit quarter-final pairs include Japan versus Germany, USA against Italy, Norway meeting China, and the Netherlands racing France. The event is scheduled to commence at 16:00 local time in Milan. The US team reflects on previous Olympic disappointments as motivation for the Games ahead.
