Ragne Wiklund secured her world allround speed skating title by winning the 5,000 meters, marking the first time a Norwegian has won the championship since Laila Schou Nilsen in 1938.
According to NOS Schaatsen, Wiklund’s victory ended a long Norwegian title drought in the sport. Marijke Groenewoud finished second overall after posting the second-best time in the 5,000 meters, while Miho Takagi took the bronze as she prepares to retire from professional skating.
Wiklund expressed the significance of her achievement after the race, stating that the allround title had been a lifelong dream and held great importance for both herself and Norway. Takagi, who entered the final distance leading by 0.1 seconds, was unable to maintain her advantage, as the 5,000 meters tend to favor skaters with strong endurance capacities rather than speed over shorter distances.
Joy Beune, the defending champion who held third place going into the final race after winning the 1,500 meters, raced directly against Groenewoud in the 5,000 meters. However, Groenewoud established a strong lead early on, preventing Beune from defending her title and moving Groenewoud up to second place in the overall standings.
Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong competed in her first 5,000 meters of the season at Thialf and showed a mixed performance, finishing second in the 500 meters but only fifth in the 1,500 meters and falling short in the longer distances to challenge for a podium position. Francesca Lollobrigida, the Olympic champion in the 3,000 and 5,000 meters, finished seventh overall in the world allround championships.
