The Dutch women dominated on home ice on the first day of the ISU World Sprint Championships in Heerenveen on Thursday. Femke Kok (NED) hammered out a track record in the 500m and also won the 1000m to take a massive lead in the ranking after two of the competition's four distances.

Kok's compatriots Suzanne Schulting and Marrit Fledderus finished the first day in second and third place respectively.

Olympic Champion smashes own 500m track record

Getting to the start line ahead of the 500m, Kok was introduced as World Record Holder, Triple World Champion and Olympic Champion. It gave her goosebumps, Kok admitted.

"That's supercool, it's something I'm very proud of, and to be announced as Olympic Champion, that was new to me," she said.

New Olympic 500m Champion Femke Kok (NED) is introduced to the passionate Thialf crowd © ISU

Although she didn't feel the same pressure she had felt at the start of the Olympic 500m, Kok was still eager to impress at her home track.

"After Milan I think I didn't skate for six days. It was so busy with TV shows, we visited the King and when I got home the whole village was celebrating. 

"I achieved my biggest goal, but I still wanted to show that I can skate a little bit, and I also wanted to have a better 36-something on the Thialf record board."

At the Olympic trials last December, Kok had broken the 37-second-barrier in Heerenveen for the first time, skating 36.87s.

On Thursday she took another two tenths off that mark. Kok opened in 10.19s, which was 0.16s faster than pair-mate Kaja Ziomek-Nogal (POL), who clocked the second-fastest opener of the day.

With 26.40s, Kok also set the fastest full lap of the field, finishing in 36.67s. She was the only women to skate under 37s. Schulting took second place in 37.30s and Ziomek-Nogal finished in 37.41 to take third place in the 500m.

Fledderus clocked 37.50s to finish fourth in the 500m. 

Kok stretches the lead in 1000m

In the 1000m, Kok outclassed the rest of the field again. In the absence of Olympic Champion Jutta Leerdam (NED) the silver medalist from Milan stopped the clock at 1 minute and 13.10s, which was over a second faster than Schulting, who took second place in 1:14.19.

Canada's Béatrice Lamarche (CAN) took third place in 1:14.75, and Fledderus posted another fourth place (1:15.16) to move ahead of Ziomel-Nogal into third in the Sprint standings.

Kok finished more than a second ahead of compatriot Suzanne Schulting to take a firm grip on the World Sprint Championship © ISU

Going into the second day, Kok has a 1.18s gap over Schulting in the 500m. 

"I've seen the gap," Kok said. "But I have to stay focused. You can always make a mistake."

Second-ranked Schulting considered Kok out of reach, however.

"The gap is huge. Femke skates a supergood 500m, track record, and then a very good 1000m too. I don't think that I should look at that, I just have to focus on my own racing,” she said.

Schulting was happy with her performance after taking second place in both the 500m and 1000m © ISU

And as for her own racing, Schulting was more than happy.

"My 500m was simply really good, a stable 10.5 [opener] and the lap was super, I don’t think I ever skated such a fast full lap [26.7s]. 

"And the 1000m was very good too. I had to skate it all on my own [because opponent Rio Yamada (JPN) was too far back], but I still managed a very good final lap. 

"My speed just comes easy, so I'm happy about that."

Ranked third at 0.68s from Schulting, Fledderus will focus on staying on the podium on Friday.

"My 500m was good, my 1000m not so, but being third in the ranking, I can only do better tomorrow. I feel I can do better,” she admitted.

"My goal is to stay on the podium, but I'll have to go distance by distance, and then we'll see what happens."

Marrit Fledderus (NED), returning to the international stage after missing the Olympic Games, sits third after Day 1 © Getty Images

For Fledderus, who missed out on qualification for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 at the Dutch trials in December, the World Sprint Championships offer a chance for redemption.

"It's great to be back with the international girls, and it’s great to skate like I did the whole season, except for the Games. 

"It does feel a bit like a second chance. I really want to show what I can do, but that's also one of my weaknesses, that I'm too eager and forget my technique. I just have to stay calm and collected, that's how I skate the fastest." 

The women's ISU World Sprint Championships concludes on Friday with the second 500m at 19:00 CET and the final event, the second 1000m, at 20:23.