Miho Takagi (JPN) and Ragne Wiklund (NOR) set up an exciting battle for the final day of the 2025/26 speed skating season on Sunday. After the 500m and the 3000m, they are exactly level on top of the ranking. Marijke Groenewoud (NED) sits in third place, 1.73s behind the top two, with countrywomen Joy Beune (NED) and Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong (NED) close behind in fourth and fifth place. 

Despite some spectacular skating by the top five women, the loudest applause on Saturday was for an emotional Martina Sáblíková (CZE), who waved goodbye to the Thialf crowd in her final international race before retirement. 

First blood to Takagi in 500m

Miho Takagi (JPN), who also announced her retirement last week, started her final international championships by taking a big advantage over the rest of the field in the 500m. 

The Olympic bronze medalist in the shortest distance stopped the clock at 37.75s, which was 0.84s faster than Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong (NED), who finished second in the first of the four Allround events.

Miho Takagi (JPN) opened the Allround competition by taking a commanding lead in the 500m © ISU

"My 500m was pretty good,” said Takagi.

“My first 100m [10.41s] was almost a personal best, but I was a bit disappointed about my lap time. My second corner was not fantastic, but I'm really happy with the tie because I changed my training to focus on the long distances last week."

Nadezhda Morozova (KAZ) skated 38.72s to take third place in the 500m.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) and Joy Beune (NED) also skated under 39 seconds to set up an exciting battle in the remaining three distances. Wiklund took fifth place in a personal best time of 38.84s, and Beune was 0.10s slower than her Norwegian rival to finish sixth.

Wiklund levels up in 3000m 

Takagi started the 3000m with a 1.09s advantage over Wiklund, which translated to a 7.14s difference in the 3000m.

After Rijpma-De Jong had skated a time of 4 minutes and 3.22s in the first pairing, Takagi crossed the line in 4:03.37 to take over the lead in the distance and take back the lead in the ranking in the sixth pairing. 

Wiklund started her race a little slower than Takagi, but she gradually built up speed. With a spectacular second half, the Norwegian eventually hammered out 3:56.83, which put her exactly level with Takagi in the ranking.

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) won the 3000m, her time tying Takagi's overall points tally and setting up an exciting final day © ISU

Facing each other in the final pairing, Beune and Groenewoud fiercely attacked the leading couple. Halfway through the race, Groenewoud was almost four seconds ahead of Wiklund's split times, with Beune following closely. 

But as fatigue kicked in, the Dutch pair were not able to match Wiklund's acceleration. Groenewoud, however, was the only skater apart from Wiklund to stay under four minutes in 3:57.39, while Beune finished third in 4:00.09.

Back with a bang

Wiklund, who has never made it to the podium in the World Allround Championships, was a bit surprised by her performance after she had spent the post-Olympic period winding down at home in Norway. 

"I feel like I've been resting for way too long now,” she admitted.

“I got home, I got to do some skiing and a bit of endurance, so after 500m, I got very insecure about the 3000m because I wasn't sure how good my endurance would be at this moment."

Wiklund returned to competition after a brief post-Olympic rest but has lost none of the form that saw her win three medals in Milan © ISU

To be level with Takagi after two distances was more than Wiklund could have wished for before the Championships.

"It's very exciting. Usually I'm quite far behind after the first distance, and that was what I was prepared for mentally. This is different, and it feels a bit new to me. 

"I think the key today was to just have low shoulders and skate well, and not do anything too special. I think I will just do the same tomorrow."

Takagi enjoys last battle

Takagi was happy too. Wiklund had impressed her in the 3000m, and the 2018 World Allround Champion was happy with her long-distance showing.

"It was not so bad myself, just my last two laps the speed went down a bit, but that's normal for me,” she said.

"It's the first time I skated a 3000m in three or four months. Today was good for my confidence."

Takagi will wave farewell to the Speed Skating public on Sunday, but she didn’t want to think about that just yet.

"I want to skate well in the 1500m and the 5000m. It is my last competition, but I still really enjoy battling with the other strong skaters. I'm emotional right now. I'm excited to go and race, cool down and prepare for tomorrow."

Sáblíková waves farewell

"It was the best 3000m I ever skated," Sáblíková said when she came off the ice. The five-time World Allround Champion had announced that after 21 years, she would finish her international Speed Skating career after Saturday's 3000m, and the orange crowd gave her a standing ovation at the start line.

An emotional Martina Sáblíková (CZE) raced the final 3000m of her 21-year career at the Thialf venue she has graced so often © ISU

Going into the final lap of her career, Sáblíková was already waving to the crowd.

"I am so happy that I can compete today here, and enjoy this 3000m with everybody, because it was legendary for me.

"I felt so relaxed. I was just laughing the first two laps, because I had such a big applause from everybody. It was perfect. 

"But then the last lap was very hard, because I knew this is my last lap in any races, Oh my god, there was so much emotion."

The experience couldn't have been more different from her first impression of Thialf stadium at the age of 16 during the 2024 European Championships.

"My first time here, I went up on the ice and just wanted to go downstairs again and never come back, because I was scared for so many people. I felt horrible,” she recalled.

"But then when you skate here a second time, and then again and again and again, you just want to be here and enjoy the atmosphere."

The orange-clad Heerenveen crowd gave the five-time World Champion the send-off she richly deserved © Getty Images

Sáblíková's contemporaries praised her for being an athlete they had looked up to, but also for being the human being she has been around the track for so many years. Sáblíková herself was grateful and humble.

"I am proud for every medal that I have, but the most important thing for me is the friendship. I like every athlete, and it's great that we can talk, we can have fun. I know it's competition. 

"We have to fight with each other, but at the same time, we are friends and we support each other. That's great in this sport, I love it so much."

The women’s Allround Championships continues on Sunday with the 1500m at 13:30 CET, concluding with the 5000m at 15:12.