ISU Championships

The World Championships are held annually with two alternating programs. In the pre and post-Olympic season, the Championships have a Single Distances format in which 16 World titles are contested. The women compete individually in 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and Mass Start and the men’s individual competitions are 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, and 10000m and Mass Start. Both genders also compete for titles in the Team Pursuit and Team Sprint events.

The other seasons the World Championships have an Allround & Sprint format where titles are awarded to the skaters with the best combined points result over four distances. There are separate Allround and Sprint titles at stake for both genders. The Allround combination comprises 500m, 5000m, 1500m and a 10,000m for men, and 500m, 3000m, 1500m, 5000m for women. In the sprint competition both genders race the 500m and the 1000m twice. Points are calculated based on seconds in the 500m (e.g. times from the 1500m and 5000m will be divided by 3 and 10 respectively).

(For full explanation of points calculation in Allround and Sprint tournaments see: rule 265, 3)

Every four years, two ISU World Speed Skating Championships take place one with a Single Distances format and the other as a Allround & Sprint format (2023, 2027 etc.)

The European Championships are organized annually with two alternating programs. In the pre- and post-Olympic seasons, the event comprises competitions in Allround and Sprint combinations or in single distance format.

At the Allround and Sprint combinations, the European titles are awarded to the skaters with the best combined result over four distances. In the Allround competition, the men skate 500m, 5000m, 1500m and 10,000m and the women 500m, 3000m, 1500m, 5000m. In the sprint competition both genders race the 500m and the 1000m twice. Points are calculated based on seconds in the 500m (e.g. times from the 1500m and 5000m will be divided by 3 and 10 respectively).

(For full explanation of points calculation in Allround and Sprint tournaments see: rule 265, 3)

In the single distance format, European titles are awarded to the winners of each distance. The women’s program comprises 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m and Mass Start, and the men’s program 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m and Mass Start. Both genders also compete for titles in the Team Sprint and Team Pursuit events.

The ISU Four Continents Speed Skating Championships is a three-day annual event in which 14 titles are contested in single distance races. The women compete individually in 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m and Mass Start, and the men’s individual competitions are 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m and Mass Start. Both genders also compete for titles in the Team Pursuit and Team Sprint events.

The ISU World Junior Speed Skating Championships are organized over three days, with both single distance titles and Allround combination titles at stake. The men compete for tittles in 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 5000m, a combined title over those four distances, and a Mass Start title in a bunch race over 10 laps. The women race for titles in 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m, a combined title over those four distances, and a Mass Start title in a bunch race over 10 laps. Both genders will also compete for Team Pursuit (6 laps for women, 8 laps for men) and Team Sprint (3 laps for both genders) titles. Both in Team Sprint and in Team Pursuit national teams comprise three skaters.