#SpeedSkating

Being back on home ice may give Chinese skaters Han Mei (pictured), Gao Tingyu and Ning Zhongyan a little extra going into the ISU World Cup in Beijing this weekend. Miho Takagi (JPN) defends her World Cup lead against Han in the women’s 1000m and 1500m, while undefeated Jordan Stolz (USA) takes on Gao and Ning in the men’s 500m, 1000m and 1500m.

Everyone in contention over 500m

Yukino Yoshida (JPN) leads the World Cup ranking in the 500m after a surprise win in the first of two races at the M-Wave in Nagano (JPN) last week. She will have a tough battle on her hands to keep Erin Jackson (USA) and Kimi Goetz (USA) at bay in Beijing. 

Jackson won the second race in Nagano, climbing to second place in the ranking after finishing ninth in the first 500m of the weekend. 

Erin Jackson (USA) had a mixed World Cup weekend in Nagano, finish ninth in the first 500m before taking gold in the second sprint on Sunday © ISU

“That’s surprising coming from ninth,” Jackson said. 

“I think the top 10 was very mixed on Friday and today, so that helps me a bit with the rankings. 

“That's also exciting, because it means that everyone's in contention right now.”

For Jackson coming back to Beijing is special since she won Olympic 500m gold at the very same track in 2022.

Goetz (USA), who finished third and fourth at the M-Wave, is third in the 500m ranking and Dione Voskamp (NED), who took her first World Cup medal last week, follows in fourth place.

Han on home ice, but Takagi favorite

In the women’s middle distances, Han Mei (CHN) will challenge Miho Takagi (JPN). The Japanese World Sprint Champion won both the 1000m and the 1500m on home ice in Nagano, but in Beijing her training partner Han will have the benefit of a home crowd.

“I’m super excited to skate in Beijing,” Han said after finishing second in the 1500m behind Takagi in Nagano. “That’s where I won my first individual World Cup medal last year.”

Han referred to her 1500m silver at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing last season, when Takagi also won the distance. With Han her closest challenger, Takagi will be favorite to repeat last year’s result in China.

The 1000m is a different story. Takagi also won that distance last year in Beijing and last week in Nagano, but her main challenger in the double sprint is Jutta Leerdam (NED), who was third in Beijing last season and second in Nagano last week. 

In Beijing, Leerdam will be better adjusted to the time zone after she flew in late for the Nagano World Cup after she attended the boxing match between her boyfriend Jake Paul and heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in Texas (USA) a week earlier. 

Go, go, go for busy Blondin

Ivanie Blondin (CAN) leads the women’s long distance World Cup after last week’s 3000m victory. The versatile Canadian also skated the 1000m (10th), the 1500m (fifth) and the Team Pursuit (sixth), before concluding her weekend with silver in the Mass Start and bronze in the Mixed Gender relay at the M-Wave.

Ivanie Blondin (CAN) is officially the busiest women on ice as she prepares to race six disciplines in Beijing following her 3000m victory in Nagano © ISU

In Beijing Blondin is on the entry list for the 500m, 1000m, 1500m, 3000m, Mass Start and Team Sprint.

“It has a lot to do with the mindset of just wanting to always go, go, go,” she said about her busy schedule. “That's just how I'm programmed. It just works.”

In the Mass Start, Blondin faces Marijke Groenewoud (NED), who is the new anchor for the Netherlands after Olympic Champion Irene Schouten (NED) hung up her blades last season. Last week Groenewoud outsprinted Blondin to take gold, with teammate Elisa Dul (NED) grabbing her career first World Cup medal in third place.

Stolz undefeated in three distances

In the men’s short and middle distances, it was all about Jordan Stolz (USA) last week. The World Allround champion won both 500m races, the 1000m and the 1500m in Nagano.

Jordan Stolz (USA) won four races from four last weekend but faces stiff competition from Chinese skaters Gao Tingyu and Ning Zhongyan on home ice © ISU

In Beijing, Gao Tingyu (CHN) and Ning Zhongyan (CHN) may be inspired by the opportunity of skating for a home crowd. Gao, who has been struggling with a lot of injuries since he won the Olympic 500m title in Beijing in 2022, finished 11th and 15th in the 500m last week, but being back at the track where he celebrated his most coveted victory could give him just that little extra lift he needs.

Ning, who won last year’s 1000m and 1500m World Cup Trophies, took seventh place in the 1000m and a bronze medal in the 1500m last week.  

Tatsuya Shinhama (JPN) seems to be Stolz’s main rival in the 500m this season. The 2020 World Sprint Champion took bronze and silver in the shortest distance last week to come second in the ranking.

Laurent Dubreuil (CAN) sits in third place, but the 2021 World 500m Champion from Canada has a question mark beside his name on the Beijing entry list. Dubreuil sustained a groin injury at the start of his second 500m race in Nagano last week and hasn’t been able to train at full speed during the first half of the week in Beijing.

Italy rules in long distances

Davide Ghiotto (ITA) confidently won the 5000m in Nagano last week. The Italian world 10,000m champion skated a track record to take the lead in the long distance ranking, and also anchored Michele Malfatti and Andrea Giovannini to gold and a track record in the Team Pursuit.

Davide Ghiotto (ITA) left Nagano with gold medals and track records in the 5000m and Team Pursuit. Can his stamina put him on the podium again in Beijing? © ISU

Stamina is Italy’s strength, Ghiotto explained. 

“We skated a very flat race compared to all the others. We skate together every day and we are all specialists in the 5000m and 10,000m. A 1500m skater can start very fast, but then you have to keep it up in the second part,” he said in Nagano.

Stamina also helped Daniele Di Stefano (ITA) and Giovannini finish second and fourth respectively in the Mass Start, but Timothy Loubineaud (FRA) surprised the pack with a breakaway to take his first World Cup victory last week. 

The Frenchman heads into the second leg as World Cup leader, but doesn’t want to look at that ranking too much. 

“I just think about skating as with as possible, and then, at the end of the season, we count where I am,” he said.

Beijing program

The Beijing World Cup will start with the women’s and men’s 500m, followed by the 1500m for both genders on Friday. The Saturday program comprises the 1000m for both genders, the women’s 3000m, and the men’s 5000m, while on Sunday both genders will compete in the second 500m, and \the Mass Start, to conclude with the Team Sprint..   

ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series events 2024/25:

Nov 22  - 24, 2024                    Nagano / JPN 

Nov 29 - Dec 01, 2024             Beijing / CHN

Jan 24 - 26, 2025                      Calgary  CAN

Jan 31 - Feb 02, 2025               Milwaukee / USA

Feb 21 - 23, 2025                      Tomaszów Mazowiecki / POL

Feb 28 - Mar 02, 2025           Heerenveen / NED 

Where to watch

Stay connected with the ISU: 

ISU Website:                             ISU News

                                                    ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series

ISU Newsletter:                         Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter to get the latest news and press releases