ISU

The ISU Short Track Speed Skating Chief Referee received two protests during the Beijing 2022 Short Track Speed Skating events of February 7. 

The most decorated athlete in Speed Skating history once again managed to rise to the occasion like no other, adding yet another Olympic title to her sheer endless list of honors. In a new Olympic record of 1 minute and 53.28 seconds, Ireen Wüst (NED) took her career third Olympic 1500m gold, her career sixth Olympic gold in total and her 12th Olympic medal.

Speed Skating legend Ireen Wüst (NED) will start her final Olympic campaign chasing a career third 1500m title and a sixth Olympic gold in total at the National Speed Skating Oval on February 7. Four years ago Wüst beat Miho Takagi (JPN) by 0.20s to seize her second Olympic 1500m gold. Takagi will again be one of her main rivals at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. “There’s Takagi, (Brittany) Bowe (USA), Antoinette (de Jong, NED)…”, Wüst named her rivals. “I’m in the mix too.”

Nils van der Poel (SWE) won the men’s 5000m, but it did not come easy. The Swede was still one second behind Patrick Roest (NED) at the 4600m split, only to edge out his Dutch rival with a superb final lap. Roest took silver and Hallgeir Engebråten (NOR) seized a surprise bronze. Finishing in 6 minutes and 8.84 seconds, Van der Poel broke Sven Kramer‘s (NED) 2018 Olympic record, to definitely close off the era of the threefold champion, who finished in a disappointing ninth place.

Irene Schouten (NED) lived up to the expectations when Speed Skating got underway with the Women’s 3000m at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games on Saturday. Defying the pressure of being the top favorite, she won in a new Olympic record time of three minutes and 56.93 seconds. Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) and Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) came in second and third.

“Nils van der Poel (SWE) is the big favorite,” said Jorrit Bergsma (NED) two days before the Men’s 5000m in Beijing. The Swedish world record holder has been in a league of his own in the long distances so far this season, but Bergsma will not settle for second just yet: “These are the Olympics and you never know.” Triple Olympic 5000m champion Sven Kramer (NED) knows all about it. The Dutch legend is chasing a career tenth medal in his final individual Olympic race at his fifth Games in Beijing.

The Olympic Speed Skating competition kicks off with the Women’s 3000m on Saturday. For Irene Schouten (NED), it is the start of a campaign in which she strives to equal legendary Soviet Skater Lidia Skoblikova, who won a record of four medals at a single Winter Olympics event in 1960.

Jade Groenewoud (NED) and Joep Wennemars (NED) took the Women’s and Men’s Junior World Allround titles in yet another impressive Dutch medal haul at the ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships in Innsbruck last weekend. Pien Smit (NED) missed out on a double world title, crashing out of the Women’s 1000m after having won the 500m. Despite their dominance in the individual events, the Dutch men had to bow their heads in the Team Pursuit with Japan coming out victorious of the race.

2022 is going to be quite a year! As we head to the Beijing Olympic Winter Games and the ISU World Championships, the International Skating Union (ISU) brings back its #UpAgain campaign celebrating the unbreakable spirit that drives athletes to compete on ice.

One week before the start of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, the future stars of Speed Skating are about to conclude their international season with the ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships in Innsbruck (AUT)on January 28-30, 2022. Last week, the juniors finished their ISU Junior World Cup campaign on the same track with the Dutch dominating the rankings, spearheaded by the imperious sprinter Pien Smit.

Are you ready for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games? The Ice Skating Podcast certainly is. In the run-up to – and during – the Games, we will be broadcasting five special editions of the pod. One is already out now, with more to follow on January 30, and then weekly during the action.

The Republic of Korea is the world’s leading powerhouse in Short Track Speed Skating and they are the best-placed Asian nation of all-time in the Speed Skating Olympic medal ranking too. With five gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals, Korea is in tenth place overall. Korea seized 13 starting slots for the Speed Skating competition at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

The Netherlands are the only nation to have earned the maximum quota of 18 participants in  Speed Skating at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Yet, seizing a spot in the national Olympic selection is tougher in the Netherlands than anywhere else. With an internationally unmatched amount of top level skaters, the Dutch have to leave potential medal winners at home. Ireen Wüst and Sven Kramer, the most decorated Dutch Olympians of all time, fought their way to Beijing.

Piotr Michalski (POL) and Bart Swings (BEL) ended the Netherlands’ unbeaten run at the European Championships on Sunday. After two days of non-stop home wins, Polish sprinter Michalski became the first non-Dutchman to take a gold medal in Heerenveen, winning the 500m to seal a career-first international title. Swings then followed suit winning the Mass Start for Belgium, after Kjeld Nuis (NED) had started the day winning his first European title in the 1500m.

The Dutch women won three more gold medals on Sunday to conclude the European Championships having taken all titles on offer in Heerenveen. Jutta Leerdam retained her 1000m title, Ireen Wüst, Antoinette de Jong and Irene Schouten seized the third consecutive Team Pursuit title for the Dutch, and Schouten rounded off the tournament defending her Mass Start title.