Speed skating is back in Beijing (CHN), cherishing the memories of the spectacular Winter Olympic Games last year. The second event of the ISU World Cup 2023/24 is the first international speed skating event to be held in the host city since the Games. With three gold medals and two bronze, Irene Schouten (NED) was the speed skating queen of Beijing 2022. After skipping the first World Cup in Obihiro, she’ll get her first taste of international competition this season at her beloved Ice Ribbon Oval. The Beijing World Cup this weekend also marks the return of the men’s Olympic 500m champion Gao Tingyu (CHN) after a year’s absence due to injury.
Different ballgame
Schouten and teammate Marijke Groenewoud (NED) did not compete in Obihiro because they were concerned about the long journey. Coming from Europe, the Beijing itinerary is shorter, but Schouten and Groenewoud may still have to process the jetlag, whereas most other skaters have already been in Asia for two weeks.
Irene Schouten celebrates gold at the 2023 World Championships © ISU
In the Dutch duo’s absence, Miho Takagi (JPN) crushed the rest of the field in the 1500m in front of an enthusiastic crowd on her home track, Ivanie Blondin (CAN) sprinted to victory in the Mass Start, and Ragne Wiklund (NOR) smashed the track record to win the 3000m.
Schouten and Groenewoud will have it all to do considering those impressive displays, but Wiklund admitted after winning gold in Japan that skating in Beijing against the Olympic queen will be a different ballgame.
“This was good, but there are still some names missing from the list, so we’ll see next weekend.”
Ragne Wiklund smashed the track record to win 3000m gold in Obihiro, Japan © ISU
The women’s Mass Start will see a different dynamic with the two Dutch stars back in the game, although compatriots Esther Kiel (NED) and Reina Anema (NED) did well as substitutes. Kiel comes into Beijing with a silver from that race, she will compete in the 1500m this weekend.
Gao return and Stolz absence
Gao Tingyu also returns to competition at the rink where he celebrated his biggest success. The 25-year-old sprinter took the 500m Olympic title in 2022 but has not skated for an entire season after taking 2022/23 off to recover from a lower back injury. He’ll be back in competition for the first time in 21 months.
Gao Tingyu celebrates 500m gold at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics © Getty Images
With Gao still absent at the season opener In Obihiro, the Japanese men totally dominated the 500m, winning five out of six medals in the distance that was on the program twice. With a bronze medal in the second outing, Jordan Stolz (USA) was the only non-Japanese skater on the 500m podium. Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) and Wataru Morishige (JPN) share the World Cup lead, with both winning one gold and one silver medal last week.
Stolz will not compete in Beijing. The 19-year-old American had already decided before the start of the season to reduce his competitive workload by skipping one World Cup. Stolz is currently in Europe to train and prepare for the World Cups in Stavanger and Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
Track record challenge
Patrick Roest (NED) will enter the Beijing Oval with mixed feelings, after missing out on gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics in both the 5000m and 10,000m to Nils van der Poel (SWE). This weekend’s World Cup program does not include a 10,000m, but Roest will take on the 5000m. His Swedish nemesis hung up his blades after Beijing 2022, but he left a track record at the Ice Ribbon that may ignite the fire in Roest. Van der Poel set 6:08.84 in the 5000m at Beijing 2022, while Roest set 6:10.99 to break the Obihiro track record last week. It will be interesting to see if he takes on the challenge for 6:08 at the Ice Ribbon.
Patrick Roest broke the 5000m Obihiro track record at last week's World Cup © ISU
Struggling champions
In the men’s middle distance, the balance of power seems to have shifted since the Beijing Olympics. Thomas Krol (NED) and Kjeld Nuis (NED) dominated the 1000m and the 1500m coming into the 2022 Games and shared the honors with 1000m gold for Krol and the 1500m crown for Nuis.
But at last year’s World Championships, the Dutch veterans had to bow to Jordan Stolz. The American youngster took the World Single Distance titles in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m in Heerenveen. However, this season’s Obihiro World Cup proved that Stolz too, is not invincible. Masaya Yamada (JPN) won both the 1000m and the 1500m in his hometown, to seize the first World Cup gold medals of his career, with Krol and Nuis not even managing to get on the podium. They will be hoping to correct that in Beijing.
Masaya Yamada won double gold at the season opener in Obihiro, Japan © ISU
Beijing program
The World Cup program in Beijing is slightly different from the one in Obihiro. Instead of the Mixed Gender Relay, there will be a Team Sprint for both Genders. There will also be no Team Pursuit and the other events are scheduled in a different order. Friday will feature the 1500m and the first 500m for both genders. On Saturday the program starts with the women’s 1000m, followed by the men’s second 500m, the men’s 5000m, the men’s Team Sprint and the women’s Mass Start. On Sunday it’s the women’s second 500m, the men’s 1000m, the women’s 3000m, the women’s Team Sprint and the men’s Mass Start.
For all information about the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series, please visit the webpage here.
World Cup Standings - Men
World Cup Standings - Women
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 #SpeedSkating.
ISU World Cup Short Track 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)
