For the first time in four years, Asia welcomes the international Speed Skating elite to kick off the 2023/24 ISU World Cup Series. The six-leg series starts in Obihiro (JPN) this weekend, and visits the Olympic Oval in Beijing (CHN) a week later. With the addition of the Mixed Gender Relay, the ISU World Cup Speed Skating program features an exciting new competition. The ISU also this season adds commentary to the live stream of all its major events as an extra service to those who follow Speed Skating remotely (follow the ISU YouTube Channel and check the “Where to watch” webpage here).
Back in Japan
With the Obihiro event on November 10-12, 2023, the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series returns to Japan for the first time since visiting Nagano in December 2019. Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) dominated the Men’s 500m World Cup that season but it was his teammate Yuma Murakami (JPN) who won the first 500m race at the Nagano World Cup. After winning the 500m World Cup ranking, the World Championships in 2020, and the Japanese Skater of the Year award for the 2019/20 season, Shinhama has struggled with his form, coming 14th in the World Cup ranking last season. The 27-year-old sprinter may be back this season, however: he posted the season’s best time in the 500m so far – 34.40 seconds – at the Japanese Single Distance Championships in Nagano last month.
Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) in 500m action during the 2022 ISU World Cup Speed Skating Final in Heerenveen, Netherlands © ISU
Dubreuil (CAN) aiming for third World Cup
While Murakami has only gotten better since 2019, finishing second to Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) in last season’s 500m World Cup ranking, the Canadian won his second consecutive World Cup, but missed out on the 500m World title. The World Cup ranking is very important to the Canadian – even before topping it, he said: “To me, the best skater in the world is not necessarily the guy who wins the one race at the Olympics or the World Championships. The best skater in the world is supposed to be consistent throughout the whole season.”
Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) competes in the Men's 500m during the 2023 ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands © ISU
Stolz ‘the most talented in 40 years’
At the World Championships, Dubreuil had to bow to Jordan Stolz (USA), who also won the 1000m and 1500m World titles. For Dubreuil and many others in the Men’s short and middle distances, the American 19-year-old is the new benchmark. Dubreuil said: “It’s very exciting for Speed Skating to see somebody that good. I think he’s the most talented skater of the last 40-45 years. I’ve never seen anything like that, so I’m just going to try to win as many races as possible until he gets too strong.”
Jordan Stolz (USA) prepares to compete at the 2023 ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands © ISU
Back in Beijing
Beijing will host the second World Cup event this season, from November 17-19. It’s the first time the international Speed Skating elite return to the Chinese capital since the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. Patrick Roest (NED) does not hold fond memories of the Olympic Oval. Going into the Games as a long-distance favorite, the Dutchman had to bow in both the 5000m and the 10,0000m to Nils van der Poel (SWE), who set a world record in the latter distance, slicing more than two seconds off his own mark. The upcoming ISU World Cup in Beijing does not feature a 10,000m race but Roest definitely hopes to make a mark in the 5000m.
Van der Poel, who hung up his blades in March 2022, will not be there to challenge Roest, but Davide Ghiotto (ITA) will. The Italian was en route to win last year’s long distance World Cup ranking when he was disqualified for an irregular change up with Norway’s Sander Eitrem (NOR) in the concluding race of the series in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (POL). Ghiotto took revenge a few weeks later when he won the 10,000m title in Heerenveen (NED) to become Italy’s first World Single Distance Champion.
On top of the world: Davide Ghiotto, Italy's first World Single Distance Champion, in Heerenveen, Netherlands © ISU
Leerdam fast and furious
In the Women’s field, Jutta Leerdam (NED) has already shown great form this season, winning the 1000m at the Dutch World Cup trials. Skating in sea-level Heerenveen with celebrity boyfriend and professional boxer Jake Paul in the stands, the 1000m World Champion equaled the season’s best of 1.13:64, set by Kimi Goetz (USA) at high altitude in Salt Lake City.
As well as in her signature 1000m, Leerdam also hopes to be competitive in the 500m, but Femke Kok (NED) beat her at the Dutch trials. Other contenders include last year’s World Cup Champion Kim Min Sun (KOR), the 2019 World Champion Vanessa Herzog (AUT), and Olympic Champion Erin Jackson (USA), who wound down and recharged in the post-Olympic season last year.
Jutta Leerdam (NED) prepares during the 2023 ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands © ISU
Schouten absent in Obihiro
The Olympic 3000m, 5000m, and Mass Start Champion Irene Schouten (NED) will skip the first World Cup event in Obihiro, opening the field for last year’s long distance World Cup winner and World 3000m Champion Ragne Wiklund (NOR), and last year’s long distance World Cup runner-up Isabelle Weidemann (CAN).
Schouten will be back on track in Beijing, but skipping the first World Cup may jeopardize the Dutch qualification quota for the European and World Championships later in the season. The first four World Cups serve as qualifying events for the ISU Four Continents Championships in Salt Lake City (USA) (January 19-21, 2024) and the ISU European Championships in Heerenveen (NED) (January 5-7, 2024), and the complete World Cup Series is a qualifying event for the ISU World Single Distance Championships in Calgary (CAN) (February 15-18, 2024) and the ISU World Allround and Sprint Championships in Inzell (GER) (March 7-10, 2024).
Out on her own: Irene Schouten (NED) in Heerenveen, Netherlands © ISU
Mixed Gender Relay
The Mixed Gender Relay makes its debut at the Obihiro World Cup. It’s a brand-new event so skaters will have to find out what works through trial and error. In Short Track Speed Skating, the Mixed Gender Relay has already proved itself as an exciting addition to the program, and made its Olympic debut at the 2022 Games in Beijing.
In Long Track Speed Skating, the format is a little different from Short Track. Teams comprise one woman and one man, with a maximum of four teams competing in the same heat. The race is six laps with the women skating one lap, followed by two for the men, another two for the women, before the men finish with one final lap. The race starts at the 500m starting line and finishes at the main finishing line. Exchanges will be done by a push in a marked 50m exchange zone in the first half of the home straight.
Whereas the seeding for the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit events will be determined according to the final 2022/23 World Cup Team competition ranking, the Mixed Gender Relay starting list will be determined by lot.
For all information about the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series, please visit the webpage here.
All Media Accreditations details and deadlines for the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating Series can be found here.
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch the World Cup sessions via their national broadcaster/channel.
For countries where there are no broadcasters, the ISU will offer a live stream with English commentary on the Skating ISU YouTube Channel. You will find the full list on the Where to watch webpage here.
Subscribe to the ISU YouTube Channel to receive all the latest videos and follow the conversation with #SkatingSkating.
ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series events 2023/24:
Nov 10 - 12, 2023 Obihiro /JPN
Nov 17 - 19, 2023 Beijing /CHN
Dec 01 - 03, 2023 Stavanger /NOR
Dec 08 - 10, 2023 Tomaszów Mazowiecki /POL
Jan 26 - 28, 2024 Salt Lake City /USA
Feb 02 - 04, 2024 Québec /CAN
About ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series
The ISU World Cup Speed Skating is a Series of Speed Skating competitions which have taken place annually since 1984. The series comprises six events (four during an Olympic season), with A Division and B Division races. Skaters can earn points at each competition, and the Skater with the most points on a given distance at the end of the series is the World Cup winner in that distance. The four World Cup Competitions held from November to December serve as qualifying events for entry quotas at the ISU European Championships, and the ISU Four Continents Championships. The whole series of six events serves as qualifying events for the World Single Distances Championships, and/or the World Sprint and Allround Speed Skating Championships.
World Cup titles are awarded in 500m, 1000m, 1500m, combined 5000m/10,000m, and Mass Start for men, and 500m, 1000m, 1500m, the combined 3000m/5000m, and Mass Start for women. Both genders also compete for the World Cup titles in Team Pursuit and Team Sprint. New in the 2023/24 program is the Mixed Gender Relay over six laps, in which teams of one man and one woman compete.
(For full explanation of this season’s ISU World Cup (entry rules, formats, qualifying, and prizes: https://www.isu.org/speed-skating/rules/ssk-communications/31562-isu-communication-2587/file)
