Jenning de Boo (NED) smashed the 500m track record and narrowly managed to avoid a collision with compatriot Joep Wennemars in the 1000m to take the lead after Day 1 of the World Sprint Championships in Heerenveen (NED) on Thursday.

Jordan Stolz (USA) had to settle for two second place finishes. The American favorite will enter the second day 0.66s behind De Boo. Defending Champion Ning Zhongyan (CHN) sits in third place at 0.47s from Stolz.

De Boo seeks race tension after Olympic joy

After coming second to Stolz in both the 500m and the 1000m at the Milan Games, De Boo had a hectic week of Olympic celebrations. Winding down from the Olympics made it difficult to gear up for the World Championships again, he explained.

"I wasn't even nervous. I think I had made those Olympics so big in my own head, that everything else seemed unimportant afterwards, even a World Sprint Championships,” he said.

"I really had to seek that race tension. That was also positive, because I skated my fastest laps of the season in training last week.

"Only when I saw the draw versus Damian Zurek (POL) in the 500m and Joep Wennemars (NED) in the 1000m, I started to feel the nerves a bit."

Jenning de Boo (NED) is greeted by his home crowd at Heerenveen's Thialf ahead of his 500m triumph © ISU

The combination of ease and late nerves proved to work out just fine for De Boo. The Dutchman was the only man to finish under 34s in the 500m. The World 500m Champion skated 33.78 to break Stolz's track record by 0.12s.

"I'm really happy to take back that track record, especially because it's on my home rink," De Boo said. 

Stolz himself had stopped the clock at 34.13s in the previous pairing. Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) finished third in the 500m in 34.26s.

The Canadian 500m specialist was the first to beat Ning Zhongyan (CHN), who had set 34.36s in the first pairing. The defending champion, who won Olympic 1500m gold two weeks ago, finished fourth in the 500m.

Wennemars clocked 34.57s to finish seventh in the 500m.

Dutch pair avoid repeat of Milan collision

Having skated the 500m track record, De Boo went into the 1000m confidently. He quickly took a big lead over Wennemars with a 16.08 opener versus 16.42. At the 600m split, De Boo had increased his lead to 0.67s and coming from the outer lane, that made up for a difficult last back stretch.

On the inside lane, Wennemars was not fast enough to cross in front of De Boo, who had priority coming from the outside lane.

"I had played that scenario in my head beforehand, and he probably also," De Boo said. 

"We had to anticipate not to push each other out of the race, as happened at the Olympic Games unfortunately."

De Boo avoided a backstretch collision with compatriot Joep Wennemars to come first in the 1000m © ISU

In the 1000m in Milan, Wennemars came from the outside lane but his opponent Lian Ziwen (CHN) didn't give way. The two collided and Wennemars’ medal chances were gone, even though he was granted a re-skate. 

This time, Wennemars and De Boo were able to avoid collision. 

"I switched lanes straight away, just so we would be in our own lanes as quick as we could and the interference would be minimal,” De Boo explained.

Wennemars, who had to hold back a little, was gutted. While De Boo took another first place finish in a time of 1 minute and 6.52s, his countryman had to settle for third place in 1:07.37

"That's a shame. He has priority, we know that by now and I thought, I'm not going to make that mistake myself now,” said a disappointed Wennemars.

"But it's really hard to take that of all people it's me who has to be the one who has to give way. I wouldn't have won this race, but I also wanted to skate a 1:06 here, and I know I could do it because my final lap is stronger. 

“Then again, it's a weapon he has because he can open real fast and skate a superfast first lap as well."

Wennemars finished third in the 1000m and eventually ended up fourth in the ranking after the first day, at 0.09s from Ning, who took fourth place in the 1000m in 1:07.61.

Stolz finished second in the 1000m and sits second in the ranking after two distances. 

"Jenning is doing very well and I'm not at my best, so it's kind of tough," Stolz commented.

Jordan Stolz's goal of winning both Sprint and Allround titles looks under threat after the American finished second in both races © ISU

The American had come to Heerenveen with the ambition of taking the World Sprint and the World Allround titles. That first goal is in jeopardy after the first day of the Sprint tournament. 

"I wanted this Sprint World title, but it doesn't look like it's going to be [that way] so far.

"I just have to take it one at the time and see what I can get done." 

Ning was happy with his performance. The defending champion hopes to defend his third place in the ranking on the second day in Heerenveen. 

Reigning champion Ning Zhongyan (CHN) skates away from Damian Żurek (POL) in the 1000m to take third place overall © ISU

"I'm happy, I skated a personal best in the 500m. Before the race I thought I might do a sub-35 race, but I didn’t expect a 34.36s,” he said.

"My condition is very good, but I made a few mistakes in the 1000m today. My goal will be another personal best tomorrow." 

The men’s ISU World Sprint Championships conclude on Friday with the second 500m at 19:36 CET and the final event, the second 1000m, at 21:21.