Japanese skater Miho Takagi leads the standings following the 500 meter race at the World Allround Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen, securing a time of 37.75 seconds.
According to NOS, Takagi’s time put her 0.84 seconds ahead of Dutch skater Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong, who holds second place. Takagi’s lead extends by 5.04 seconds heading into the 3,000 meter race scheduled for the afternoon at 14:20.
Rijpma-de Jong was the top Dutch performer in the 500 meter event, while the defending champion Joy Beune finished sixth with her second-best personal time in the distance. Beune is considered a strong contender for the medals with the longer distances coming up. Norwegian skater Ragne Wiklund also posted a personal best, placing fifth, and is expected to remain competitive during the remainder of the championships.
Earlier this week, Takagi, who won the world allround title in 2018, announced her intention to retire following this weekend’s competition. Similarly, speed skating icon Martina Sáblíková declared that this event would mark the end of her professional career.
Beune was the first Dutch athlete to skate the 500 meters, recording a time of 38.94 seconds in the fourth heat. Rijpma-de Jong encountered a slight error at the start of her race but recovered to finish in 38.59 seconds, gaining 0.35 seconds over Beune despite the setback. Beune’s strength lies in the longer distances, where she generally performs better.
Marijke Groenewoud completed the distance in 39.31 seconds, placing her nearly nine seconds behind Takagi. Wiklund, who finished third at last year’s European Allround Championships, opened with a personal record of 38.84 seconds but still needs to make up 6.54 seconds on Takagi in the 3,000 meter event.
Veteran skater Sáblíková skated a time of 40.02 seconds, winning her heat against Sandrine Tas, who finished in 40.04. Sáblíková received a warm round of applause from the audience, being a highly respected figure in Heerenveen. After the race, she confirmed she will withdraw from the competition following the 3,000 meter event, which will be her final professional race.
