#SpeedSkating

Davide Ghiotto (ITA) had dreamed of the world record for three long years, and on Saturday in Calgary, he finally got it. Skating 24 of 25 laps under 30s, the 31-year-old Italian steadily demolished the rock-solid 10,000m time schedule Nils van der Poel (SWE) had laid on the ice at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2022. With a time of 12 minutes and 25.69s, Ghiotto was 5.05s than the previous mark. Metoděj Jílek (CZE) finished second in an unofficial junior world record time of 12:37.81. Meanwhile, in the men’s 1000m race Jordan Stolz (ISA) edged out Jenning de Boo (NED) for his 18th consecutive World Cup race victory.

 Ghiotto receives standing ovation

With Ted-Jan Bloemen and Graeme Fish, host-nation Canada fielded two former world record holders in the 10.000m, and in the third of six pairings, Bloemen was the first to take up the world record challenge in Calgary.

The 2018 Olympic 10,000m champion managed to skate faster than the pace set by Nils van der Poel at Beijing 2022 up until halfway through the race, but saw his lap times gradually going up in the second part of the race to eventually finish in a disappointing 13:01.14.

Davide Ghiotto of Italy exults in triumph after setting world record time of 12:25.69 in men’s 10,000m at ISU World Cup Calgary. © ISU

When Davide Ghiotto (ITA) entered the rink, Dutchman Beau Snellink (NED) had the fastest time in 12:39.34. Taking on Sander Eitrem (NOR) in his pair, the Italian world champion left his Norwegian rival behind quickly. After a 33.19s opening lap, Ghiotto strung together 24 sub-30s laps, and when he finished in 12:25.69, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

“It’s a dream come true,” Ghiotto said. When now-retired van der Poel set the previous world record at the 2022 Beijing Games, Ghiotto had been his pair-mate, taking bronze in a then-personal best that was 15 seconds slower.

“These three years [since Beijing], I worked very hard. It’s a fantastic day, but from tomorrow onwards, I’ll work more to improve myself for next year.”

Davide Ghiotto of Italy sets world record time of 12:25.69 in men’s 10,000m at ISU World Cup in Calgary on January 25, 2025. © ISU

Ghiotto was the only 10,000m skater who did not seem to suffer from the thin air at the high-altitude track in Calgary. He thought that training a lot at the high-altitude outdoor facilities in Baselga di Pinè and Collalbo in Italy could have helped. But he, too, had suffered during the race, Ghiotto admitted.

“Every time you skate a 10,000m it's very hard, because in the first part, it feels a little bit easy, but the very hard part is the last five laps. During my race, I thought about the time I spent [training] on the track and on the bike, and … the feeling was very good today.”

 Men’s 10,000m medalists, left to right: Metodej Jílek of Czech Republic (silver), Davide Ghiotto of Italy (gold) and Sander Eitrem of Norway (bronze). © ISU

Unofficial junior record for Jílek

After Ghiotto’s display of technical grace and stamina, 18-year-old Metoděj Jílek (CZE) took the ice versus Fish. The Czech junior took a slight lead over the Canadian, but Fish accelerated halfway through the race and surpassed Jilek at the 8000m split.

Fish’s attack had come too early, however. The former world record holder was not able to maintain his blistering pace in the final lap and Jilek managed to get ahead in the final lap to take his career first World Cup podium with a silver in a time of 12:37.81.

Because the 10,000m is not an official distance for junior skaters, Jílek’s time doesn’t officially count as a junior world record, but no other junior skater has ever been faster. The previous best mark for a junior skater was 13:02.53 set by Sigurd Henriksen (NOR) in Calgary at the World Cup in 2022.

Metodej Jílek of Czech Republic powers his way to a second-place finish for silver in the men’s 10,000m at ISU World Cup in Calgary. © ISU

Jílek said he wasn’t surprised. “I had already skated the unofficial junior world record before, in a preparation race in Inzell, so I knew that I could beat the time because I trained harder.”

Jilek hopes his performance will give speed skating a boost in the Czech Republic. Because his country doesn’t have a long-track speed skating rink, Jilek has to travel 500km to train at the Max Aicher Arena in Inzell, Germany.

“Speed skating isn’t big in our country,” Jilek said. “We basically had Martina Sáblíková (CZE) as the big star in our sport, but in recent years it has been getting weaker and weaker. I hope I can bring more [dynamism to] the sport again.”

Eitrem took third place in a personal best of 12:38.04. He had skated in the pairing against the unstoppable Ghiotto.

Sander Eitrem of Norway had a personal best of 12:38.04 in finishing third in the men’s 10,000m. © ISU

“After two laps I knew I had to do my own race,” he said. “I had to pace for myself, and it was great.”

Eitrem retained his second-place standing behind Ghiotto in the long-distance World Cup rankings, with Snellink in third place.

The Dutchman finished fourth in a personal best of 12:39.34.

“I didn’t need to push it all the way today,” Snellink said. “What Ghiotto does is great, and eventually that’s where I want to be, but for him this was a race that he had targeted to set a world record. For me this race was not a main target. My next goal is the Dutch national championships [in February].”

Stolz stays with winning ways in 1000m

After Jordan Stolz (USA) won the 1500m on Friday, he added his 18th consecutive World Cup race win in the 1000m on Saturday — and just like the day before, he did it in a new track record. With a time of one minute and 5.90s, the American shaved .15s off his own previous mark at the Olympic Oval.

Jordan Stolz of USA races to gold in men’s 1000m at ISU World Cup in Calgary. © ISU

Before Stolz took on Kjeld Nuis (NED) in the final pairing, Jenning de Boo (NED) had already matched Stolz’s old track record in a new national record of 1:06.05. The Dutchman, who celebrated his 21st birthday two days ago, skated the fastest lap of the field in 23.92s, but Stolz was a little faster, both in the opener and in the final lap.

De Boo was happy to see that the gap with Stolz was just .15s.

“I just have to skate a superfast first 600m, so I have some space in the final lap,” said de Boo. “At the moment, I don’t have that space because [Stolz] has such a strong finish, and my finish is a work in progress. But I think, if I work on it, I could be able to beat him.”

USA gold medalist Jordan Stolz, flanked by Dutchmen Jenning de Boo (silver, left) and Kjeld Nuis (bronze, right), after men’s 1000m. © ISU

Stolz said he knew he could make the difference in the final lap, so having a slower 600m split time didn’t worry him too much.

“When I went to the line, I figured I would be able to have enough pace in the second lap to be able to stay with his time, or at least beat it, which is what I was able to do,” Stolz said.

Nuis managed to take bronze in 1:06.73, which felt to him as partial redemption for coming in sixth in Friday’s 1500m.

“Yesterday was my own stupid fault, because I started out as a long-distance skater, while I’m able to get to a top speed that most skaters can’t make,” he said.

“Today I just wanted to fight, even though I had a pairing against the fastest man in the world [Stolz]. I did my own thing and I was even able to match his speed in the final lap. I’m happy to have shown resilience.”

Veteran Dutch skater Kjeld Nuis has a bronze-medal day in the men’s 1000m at ISU World Cup Calgary. © ISU

Nuis lost his Dutch national record to de Boo, who is 14 years his junior.

“Records are there to be broken. I congratulated him, well done.”

At age 35, Nuis is still as eager to go to the line as he was 15 years ago.

“Unfortunately, instead of keeping the youngsters at bay it’s become chasing them to beat them, but I still love the game and let’s see if they’re still able to keep up 15 years from now.”

Calgary program

The Calgary World Cup will conclude with the 500m, the Mass Start, and the Team Sprint for both genders on Sunday.

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

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