After four exciting World Cup events in November and December, the international Speed Skating season resumes with the ISU European Championships in Heerenveen from 5-7 January. After last year’s Allround and Sprint tournaments, this year’s event will be held in single distance format, with a total of fourteen titles at stake.
Jutta Leerdam is one of the defending champions competing in Heerenveen this weekend © ISU
Open field in men’s short distances
The male sprinters in Heerenveen are looking at a wide-open field in the absence of their North American and Japanese rivals, who have dominated the World Cup so far this season. In seventh place, Damian Zurek (POL) is the highest ranked European skater in the 500m World Cup ranking. Finishing third at the World Cup in his hometown of Tomaszów Mazowiecki, the 24-year-old sprinter is the only European skater to have won a World Cup medal in the shortest distance so far this season. In Heerenveen Zurek chases his career first individual international championships podium.
Damian Zurek won 500m bronze at his home World Cup in Tomaszów Mazowiecki, Poland © ISU
Other contenders in the men’s short distances are Jenning de Boo (NED), Jarno Botman (NED) and Nil Llop Izquierdo (ESP). Nineteen-year-old de Boo surprisingly won both the 500m and the 1000m at the Dutch national championships in December. He put forward his candidacy for European silverware, skating the tenth fastest time ever at Thialf in the 500m in 34.44, and the fifth fastest Thialf-time ever in the 1000m in 1:07.36.
Jenning de Boo triumphed in Heerenveen at the Dutch championships last month © ISU
Botman and Llop are the second and third ranked Europeans in the 500m World Cup ranking, sitting ninth and tenth overall. If Llop wins a medal, he’ll be the first Spanish skater to claim silverware in the history of the European Championships.
Nil Llop Izquierdo is aiming to become the first Spaniard to win a medal at the Euros © ISU
Håvard Lorentzen (NOR) is in the mix for short distance medals too. The 2018 Olympic 500m champion seems to have overcome the hip and back problems that have hampered him for more than four years. After winning 1000m silver at the Beijing World Cup in November, he said:
“The last four years I've been struggling to find a rhythm and timing in my skating, and then it's hard to go fast at this level. It's been frustrating because I can see what I do wrong, but I just couldn’t fix it. Now I feel free or on the ice.”
Kongshaug challenges Nuis
Kjeld Nuis (NED) is the man to beat in the 1000m. He has won two World Cup races in the distance so far this season, but he feels even more at home in the 1500m. Nuis’ teammates Patrick Roest and Wesly Dijs (NED) will both be in the mix, after taking silver and bronze respectively behind the Olympic Champion at the Dutch national championships in December.
Kjeld Nuis has two World Cup golds in the 1000m already this season heading into the Euros © ISU
Nuis’ main rival however, is Peder Kongshaug (NOR). The 22-year-old Norwegian gained a lot of confidence from beating World Champion Jordan Stolz (USA) and winning his career first individual World Cup gold at in Tomaszów Mazowiecki in December. Kongshaug said:
“I feel like I’ve had the potential. In the summer, I thought that the podium would be the standard [this season], but there’s been a lot of sickness, and things not going our way in the beginning of this season.
“Everyone knows that we have the potential to be the best every weekend, and I feel like it’s finally releasing and now you see things turn around for Norway.”
Peder Kongshaug (centre) beat World Champion Jordan Stolz (left) in Tomaszów Mazowiecki © ISU
Roest man to beat in 5000m
After triumphing in all three World Cup races this season, Patrick Roest is the favorite to win the 5000m. The Dutchman is aiming for his third consecutive European 5000m title after golds in 2020 and 2022. Davide Ghiotto and Michele Malfatti (ITA), as well as Sander Eitrem (NOR) hope to challenge the reigning champion.
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Patrick Roest is going for his third straight European 5000m title in Heerenveen © ISU
Bart Swings (BEL) defends the Mass Start title. The Belgian must hold off the Italian pair of Andrea Giovannini and Daniele Di Stefano, who have shown themselves to be a very effective tandem in the World Cup races so far this season. Giovannini has two wins, after his compatriot set up the sprint.
Bart Swings is out to defend his European Mass Start title in Heerenveen © ISU
Kok and Leerdam favorites in women’s short distances
Femke Kok (NED) and Jutta Leerdam (NED) are bidding to retain their 2022 European titles in the 500m and the 1000m respectively. Both sprinters won convincingly at the Dutch national championships in Heerenveen in December and they’re both the best European skater on the World Cup ranking in their respective distances too.
Kok’s main rival in the 500m could also be Leerdam, who came second at the Dutch nationals. To her great regret, Kok will not be able to challenge Leerdam in the 1000m, after she failed to qualify following a crash at the championships.
Femke Kok will battle teammate Jutta Leerdam for European 500m gold © ISU
Other contenders in the 500m are Marrit Fledderus (NED) and 2018 champion Vanessa Herzog (AUT). Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong (NED) is Leerdam’s main rival in the 1000m, although she finished more than a second behind her at the Dutch championships.
Rijpma-de Jong (NED) hopes to retain her 2022 European 1500m title, but she’ll face tough competition. Joy Beune (NED) surprisingly beat Rijpma-De Jong at the Dutch nationals, while both Marijke Groenewoud (NED) and Ragne Wiklund (NOR) are also in the mix.
Schouten back on track
After a bumpy ride through the first half of the international season, Irene Schouten (NED) seems to be back on track in time to defend her European 3000m and Mass Start titles. The triple Olympic Champion convincingly won the 3000m, 5000m and Mass Start at the Dutch championships.
Irene Schouten has hit form at just the right time heading into the Euros © ISU
Long distance World Cup leader Wiklund is her main rival in the 3000m, while Francesca Lollobrigida (ITA) could challenge her in the Mass Start. After becoming a mother in May, the Italian 2018 Mass Start champion finished fifth at the last World Cup in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
Francesca Lollobrigida is a contender for the Mass Start title in Heerenveen © ISU
Beune seeks redemption in Team Pursuit
In the Team Pursuit, the Netherlands will defend their 2022 European titles in both genders. All eyes at the Thialf stadium will be fixed on the ankles of Joy Beune (NED), when the women take the ice. At last year’s World Championships, the Dutch women skated the fastest time but were disqualified because Beune had not covered up her ankles with the mandatory protective socks. Then at the last World Cup in Poland the Dutch woman were again disqualified because Beune forgot to wear the mandatory transponder for timekeeping. Beune left the frustration behind when she won the Dutch 1500m title in December, but she’ll seek the ultimate redemption by helping her team to win European gold.
In the Team Sprint the Dutch men defend their 2022 European title, but Norway is favorite after having won the last World Cup race in Stavanger last December. In the women’s competition, Poland hope to retain their title, but the Dutch ladies dominated the World Cup season with two gold medals and a silver so far.
European Championships program
The European Championships will start with the Team Sprint for women, followed by the men’s Team Pursuit, the women’s 3000m and the men’s 1000m on Friday. The program resumes with the men’s Team Sprint, the women’s 500m, the men’s 5000m and the women’s 1500m on Saturday and the busy Sunday schedule comprises the women’s Team Pursuit, the men’s 1500m, the women’s 1000m, the men’s 500m and the Mass Start for both genders.
For schedules and results of the ISU European Speed Skating Championships, please visit the webpage here.
Where to watch
Viewers will be able to watch 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.
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For all information about the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series, please visit the webpage here.
World Cup Standings - Men
World Cup Standings - Women
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