#SpeedSkating

It was a sad day for the Skating community as news of the tragic accident involving an American Airlines flight emerged on Thursday. A minute's silence was observed at the beginning of the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2025 in Tallinn, Estonia, and ISU Representative Mr. Gyorgy Elek delivered a speech. Please see the ISU Statement for more information.

This weekend, Milwaukee, USA, is preparing to host its first ISU World Cup Speed Skating event in almost 20 years. The last time it staged World Cup Speed Skating competition was in November 2005. Jordan Stolz (USA) was 18 months old at the time. Having conquered world Speed Skating by force since the 2022/23 season, the Wisconsin native will finally get the chance to compete internationally in front of a home crowd at the Pettit National Ice Center in Milwaukee, where he still spends most of his ice-based training hours. In Friday’s 1000m, the Speed Skating phenomenon is aiming for his 20th consecutive individual World Cup gold.

Stolz faces De Boo challenge

“I’m going to be pretty comfortable with the track,” Jordan Stolz (USA) said in his usual subdued manner, when he looked forward to his home World Cup having won his 19th consecutive race in the competition in Calgary (CAN) last Sunday.

 In a league of his own: Jordan Stolz (USA) races last week in Calgary, Canada © ISU

Stolz won the 1500m, the 1000m and the 500m at the high-altitude Olympic Oval. “It kind of takes away the pressure,” he explained, coming off the ice on Sunday. “When you come back to racing after a break, there’s more pressure of racing again.

“Going into the second weekend [the Milwaukee World Cup], you pretty much know what everyone is capable of and that kind of helps.”

Assessing the capabilities of his rivals, Stolz paid close attention to Jenning de Boo (NED). The Dutchman finished just .15s behind his American peer’s track-record time in the 1000m, skating an unmatched 23.92s first full lap. 

In the 500m De Boo got even closer, finishing .02s behind Stolz and becoming the first Dutch skater ever to finish the 500m under 34s, in 33.87s.

Jenning De Boo (NED) pushes Jordan Stolz (USA) in the men's 500m in Calgary, Canada © ISU

“I kind of expected that he would be pretty close,” Stolz said. “I think we can push each other. He had a really good lap in the 1000m. So that kind of shows how much better a person can get.”   

De Boo was excited to get ever closer to his American rival. 

“[This weekend] gave me a lot of confidence,” he said after the competition in Calgary last week. “And it gives me motivation. Being this close to a big opponent makes me eager. There’s things to work on but, eventually, I just want to beat him [Stolz].” 

Skating on home ice could be an advantage for Stolz, who looks forward to another weekend with spectacular times having broken the 15000m and 1000m track records in Calgary. “I’ll enjoy the crowd, and I think the ice [at sea-level Milwaukee] is going to be pretty quick too. In the 500m, we could get close to the times we did today [at high-altitude Calgary].”

Ning and Kongshaug chase at a distance

While De Boo is Stolz’s main rival in the 500m and 1000m, there are several others chasing, such as Peder Kongshaug (NOR), a 1500m rival, and Ning Zhongyan (CHN), who is fast in both the 1000m and the 1500m.

While Ning misses the event in Milwaukee, Kongshaug is focused on his own race, having skated a Norwegian record to come third in that race in Calgary. The 23-year-old praised Stolz:

“He’s a generational talent,” he said. “We’ve never seen anything like him. Me, and everyone else, we should just focus on ourselves, and hopefully get closer. He’s at a level now that it’s hard to imagine that he’s even going faster, so we just have to catch up.

“He lifts the level for everyone. He makes it possible for other people to imagine that those lap times are possible. That raises the level of the sport.”

Peder Kongshaug (NOR) at the ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Calgary, Canada © ISU

Beune looks for golden treble in unknown territory

In the women’s competition. Miho Takagi (JPN) will be looking for revenge. After winning the 1000m in Calgary last week, Joy Beune (NED) snapped Takagi’s seven-race winning streak in the 1500m.

The Dutchwoman also won the 5000m, taking home two gold medals from the Calgary World Cup. In Milwaukee she aims for three golds, skating the 1500m, 3000m and Team Pursuit.

Joy Beune (NED) in action in Calgary, Canada © ISU

“I’ve never been to Milwaukee before so I’m curious to see what’s it’s like,” Beune said after her successful display last week, “but I’m really looking forward to racing again next week.” 

A different Mass Start dynamics

Greta Myers (USA) is also looking forward to Milwaukee. The 20-year-old American took her career-first World Cup medal when she won the Mass Start in Calgary, having crashed in her previous three international Mass Start races this season.

Greta Myers (USA) in action last week in Calgary, Canada © ISU

Myers considers Milwaukee to be her home track: “I’m from Minnesota, it’s close to home. I grew up skating there [Pettit National Ice Center] more often than not.

“It’s my favorite track and I’m very excited to have the world see what Milwaukee is capable of.”

Myers won the women’s mass start after a long breakaway, giving the race a different dynamic than the usual bunch sprint finish. 

In the men’s mass start: Timothy Loubineaud (FRA) also won after a breakaway, keeping fellow runaways Fridtjof Petzold (GER) and Indra Médard (BEL) at bay in the final lap to win his second Mass Start race this World Cup season.

Men's mass start medalists (l to r): Fridtjof Petzold (GER, silver), Timothy Loubineaud (FRA,gold) and Indra Medard (BEL, bronze) © ISU

 “I’m a very random guy, and when I let the fire inside me talk, it’s not too bad,” Loubineaud said. “It doesn’t work all the time, but it worked in Japan [at the Nagano Word Cup], and it works here.”

Following in Loubineaud’s footsteps, more ‘random guys’ may try to attack early on in the race, which makes for an exciting competition.

Milwaukee program

The Milwaukee World Cup starts with the women’s 3000m, the men’s 5000m and the 1000m for both genders on Friday. The Saturday program comprises the first of two 500m races and the 1500m for both genders, while on Sunday both genders will compete in the Team Pursuit, the second 500m, to conclude with the Mass Start and mixed relay.

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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