ISU

It did not come easy, but Dutch Ireen Wüst managed to recapture the World Allround Title after a two-year reign by Martina Sáblíkova. In the Men’s tournament Sven Kramer (NED) topped an all-Dutch podium, with Patrick Roest and Jan Blokhuijsen taking silver and bronze.

Miho Takagi (JPN) is the surprise leader in the Ladies’ classification after Day 1 of the ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships in Hamar Norway. In the Men’s tournament Sven Kramer (NLD) laid a solid foundation for his ninth World Allround title, leading the classification ahead of countrymen Patrick Roest and Jan Blokhuijsen after the first two distances.

The ISU spoke with Hege Bøkko & Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen from Norway to find out more about them and their sporting career.

Dutch record champion Sven Kramer is the outright favorite to win his career ninth World Allround Speed Skating title in Hamar this weekend. In the ladies’ tournament Ireen Wüst (NED) will again challenge Martina Sáblíková (CZE), who will aim for a third consecutive title.

Nao Kodaira became the first Japanese lady to win the ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in Calgary on Sunday. Kai Verbij (NED) survived a nerve wrecking miss stroke in the final 1000m to grab his first career World Sprint Title. Both Kodaira and Verbij skated a World Record in the sprint combination.

The Olympic Oval in Calgary confirmed its status as one of the fastest ice rinks in the World with 59 personal best times and 20 national records on Day 1 of the ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships. Nao Kodaira is on course for her career first World Sprint Title, and the Men’s tournament is very close, with Kai Verbij (NED) defending a 0.11 lead over Germany’s Nico Ihle.

The 48th ISU World Sprint Speed Skating Championships will be held on the fast ice of the Calgary Olympic Oval in Canada, which will host these Championships for the fifth time in history. Only Heerenveen (NED) hosted the tournament more often (six times).

Dutch skaters Chris Huizinga and Jutta Leerdam grabbed the Men’s and Ladies’ Allround gold at the ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships on February 17-19, 2017. Norway’s Allan Dahl Johansson and Russia’s Daria Kachanova both grabbed two single distance titles at the artificial outdoor rink of Oulunkylä Sport Park in Helsinki.

Helsinki will host the World’s fastest junior speed skaters for the annual ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships on February 17-19. The Juniors have to prepare for tough conditions, because the event will be held at the artificial outdoor rink of Oulunkylä Sport Park.

The Chinese and Korean men have made their mark in the Junior World Cup Speed Skating Series 2016/17, and Daria Kachanova was queen of the ladies’ sprint events winning five out of a total of six races in the 500m and 1000m.

America’s Heather Bergsma won her second World Title at the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships, when she edged out Ireen Wüst (NED) for gold in the ladies’ 1500m on Sunday. Almost at the end of the Championships, Bo-Reum Kim delighted the home crowd with the first Korean title of the tournament, winning the Ladies’ Mass Start.

Martina Sáblíková won her ninth consecutive 5000m title on day 3 of the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships. Kjeld Nuis took his maiden World Title in the Men’s 1000m, and Heather Bergsma took gold in the ladies’ 1000m. Sven Kramer closed the day with gold in the 10,000m.

Japan’s Nao Kodaira won the Ladies’ 500m to become the first Japanese female skater taking individual gold in the history of the World Single Distance Championships. Dutch Jan Smeekens grabbed a long awaited gold in the Men’s 500m and the Netherlands won both the Ladies’ and the Men’s Team Pursuit events at day 2 of the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships.

Ireen Wüst has won the inaugural race at the Gangneung Olympic Oval. With exactly one year to go to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games, the Dutchwoman took gold in the Ladies’ 3000m at the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships. Sven Kramer won his eighth 5000m World Title, with bronze Peter Michael taking the first ever World Speed Skating Championships medal for New-Zealand.

Top sport life has not always been easy for Polish Natalia Czerwonka. The 28-year-old silver 2014 Olympic medalist suffered a head injury and a broken vertebra after a collision with a tractor, while training on the bike in August 2014. We took the opportunity to talk to her in Heerenveen last December. Her passion for speed skating is still unbroken.