The Olympic speed skating season comes to an end this week in Heerenveen with the World Sprint Championships on Thursday and Friday, followed by the World Allround Championships on Saturday and Sunday.
NOS Schaatsen, a Dutch news outlet, reports on the final competitions held at the Thialf ice arena.
Several notable athletes who earned medals at the Winter Olympics will compete for the season’s last titles. Gold medalists such as Femke Kok, Jordan Stolz, and Sander Eitrem are among those participating. Notably absent is Jutta Leerdam, who decided to end her season following the Olympic Games. Femke Kok, however, is a strong contender for the sprint title, which has eluded her so far. Kok finished second in the 500 meters at the World Sprint Championships in both 2022 and 2024. She faces competition primarily from fellow Dutch skaters Suzanne Schulting, the recent national champion with personal bests, and Marrit Fledderus. On the international front, American Erin Jackson and Polish skater Kaja Ziomek-Nogal are considered primary challengers.
On the men’s side, the newly crowned Dutch champion Janno Botman will compete alongside compatriots Jenning de Boo and Joep Wennemars. They will compete against American Jordan Stolz, who won Olympic gold in both the 500 and 1,000 meters. Stolz aims to achieve a rare feat by competing in both the World Sprint and World Allround Championships this season. He currently holds the World Allround title and is seeking to add the Sprint title to his achievements, a combination previously attained only by American legends Eric Heiden and Shani Davis. However, Stolz would be the first to accomplish these victories within a four-day period, making this attempt unique.
The women’s allround tournament features a strong field with the entire podium from the last World Championship returning. Titleholder Joy Beune will defend her crown, with Marijke Groenewoud and Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong, who placed second and third previously, also competing. Two-time Olympic champion Francesca Lollobrigida from Italy will participate as well. Valerie Maltais is viewed as an outside contender for the podium, having shown strong Olympic form by winning team pursuit gold and individual bronze medals in the 1,500 and 3,000 meters. Martina Sablikova from the Czech Republic is expected to make her farewell race before a full house at Thialf. The five-time world allround champion had a difficult Olympic experience due to illness and is not currently considered a title contender.
Norwegian skater Sander Eitrem, who made history last month by winning Norway’s first Olympic 5,000-meter gold in over 30 years, will also compete. The last Norwegian world allround champion was Johan Olav Koss in 1994, and since then several Norwegians have reached the podium without securing the title. Eitrem won the European Championship last season and will now seek to build on that success. However, his form following the Olympics is uncertain, as he missed the team pursuit and finished outside the top ranks in the 10,000 and 1,500 meters.
