Sander Eitrem (NOR) won the first men's World Allround Championship for Norway since Johan Olav Koss in 1994. The 5000m World Record Holder laid the foundations for his title with a formidable 1500m race against Jordan Stolz (USA) in Heerenveen (NED) on Sunday and finished the event with a strong 10,000m to overhaul the American at the top of the standings.

After a strong 500m, Stolz had been on top of the rankings up until the final distance, but he eventually dropped to fourth place with Metoděj Jílek (CZE) and Vladimir Semirunniy (POL) also overtaking him in the 10,000m.

Stolz hits the wall

After the first day, Stolz figured that he needed a 30-second cushion in the final 10,000m to keep Eitrem at bay. Given the fact that he had a 9.15s cushion ahead of the 1500m, the American knew that he had to strike hard in the third distance, and he attacked furiously.

Stolz opened in 22.75s, two tenths faster than the World Record. Eitrem was 1.51s slower in the opener and Stolz increased the gap to 2.48s at the 700m split, but the second half of the race was Eitrem's. 

Jordan Stolz (USA, left) sets out to put time into Sander Eitrem (NOR, right) in the 1500m © Getty Images

While Stolz ran out of fuel, Eitrem shifted up. At the 1100m split, the difference was still 2.09s, but the Norwegian skated final lap in 27.1 versus 28.4s for Stolz. The American still won the race in a time of 1 minute and 43.11s, but at the finish line he had only a 0.81s advantage left. Stolz felt he had hit the wall halfway through the race. 

"My legs were tired," Stolz admitted, "And I thought, well, I have to get as much time as possible, so I just went as hard as I could. 

“After the opener, I was hoping for faster lap than 25.0, and after that… a little tired."

Eitrem was delighted with his time.

"He was passing me before the first corner already,” he said of Stolz’s fast start.

“It took him just 100 meters to pass me, but I just had to go all out and do three fast laps. 

“Before the race I thought that it would be OK if were 1.5s behind in the 1500m, and it was just 0.81 so I was super-excited."

Behind the top two, Peder Kongshaug (NOR) took third place in the 1500m in 1:44.20, while Czech Metoděj Jílek (1:45.01) and Poland's Vladimir Semirunniy (1:45.06), stayed in podium contention with fourth and fifth places respectively.

Ruthless on the ice, respect off it

Stolz had a 23.70s advantage going into the final 10,000m and had not given up hope.

"After that 1500m, I was pretty dead, but I was still believing that I could maybe, skate a good 10,000m, but I was more tired than I thought. I was dead,” he confessed.

Eight races in four days left Stolz, in his own words, 'dead' after the concluding 10,000m © Getty Images

Yet despite his excitement after the 1500m, Eitrem wasn’t sure he was going to be able to reel in Stolz in the longest distance. 

"Jordan [Stolz] is the best skater in the whole world, and he'd have a really, really good day, I think he can skate under 13 minutes [in the 10,000m] so you never know with him. 

"But yeah, doing the Sprints and the Allrounds, hats off to him, he's a crazy guy, and I have all respect."

Respect or not, on the ice Eitrem was ruthless. Not only did he beat Stolz, he even lapped the American with seven laps to go. At one point, the two almost collided. 

"I was looking at the board and I went wide," Stolz explained. "Because he was on the inside and I wanted to let him pass, but then he was already coming up to me."

"He yelled at me: ‘Outer!’ Rightfully, it would have been bad if I would have knocked him over."

The Norwegian eventually stopped the clock after 12 minutes and 41.27s, while Stolz finished in 13:32.28.

Eitrem's Allround World Title was the first for a Norwegian in 32 years © Getty Images

The new Allround World Champion was happy to share a seat in the traditional Thialf horse-sled for a lap of honor with compatriot Ragne Wiklund, who took the women's crown.

"We both did really well in the Olympics, and now finishing off both Allround World Champions, that's a dream come true,” he concluded.

Eitrem and compatriot Ragne Wiklund enjoy the traditional horse-drawn lap of honor around the Thialf oval © Getty Images

Jílek and Semmirunniy complete podium

Ahead of the final race, Semirunniy in third and Jílek in fourth seemed to be battling for bronze. The Czech skater won the 10,000m in 12:30.54, Semirunniy finishing second in 12:34.37. 

Before the 10,000m, Jílek had needed 40.68s to overtake Stolz in the ranking, while Semirunniy had been 39.38s behind. In the event they both bumped Stolz off the podium, Jílek finishing 1 minute and 1.74s ahead of the American to take silver, with Semirunniy ending 57.91s faster.

A strong 1500m set Metoděj Jílek (CZE, left) up for a shot at the podium in the concluding 10,000m © Getty Images

Jílek had come to Heerenveen to win the Allround title, but he paid due respect to Eitrem for his consistency over the four distances. 

"Sander was incredibly strong the whole championships,” said the Czech skater.

“He had almost no weaknesses, so it was really hard to race against him, against all the guys. In the end, I'm really happy that I was able to get the silver medal."

Semirunniy had been disappointed that he hadn't been able to beat Jílek, but was happy to end up on the podium.

"It was very close. I saw [Jílek] skate 12:30 and I thought: Oh, I need to work now. I tried, but the last 12 laps it was too hard. But here in Heerenveen, with the loud noise of the crowd, I really liked it."

"Still I thought if I skate under 12:35, it's possible to beat Jordan, and when I saw him going into 32s laps in the end, I thought it would be enough for me. It's really nice to beat him and be on the podium."