SPEED SKATING
Stolz (USA) secures 1000m World Cup Trophy in track record time
22 Feb 2025
After winning Friday’s 500m and 1500m, Jordan Stolz (USA) took his third gold medal of the weekend in Tomaszów Mazowiecki (POL) on Saturday. Skating a track record time of 1 minute and 8.42s, the American secured the 1000m World Cup Trophy. Sander Eitrem (NOR) won the 5000m to set up an exciting final battle for the long-distance Trophy with Davide Ghiotto (ITA) next week in Heerenveen (NED).
Stolz takes it with incredible last lap
Despite his gold medal in the 1500m on Friday, Jordan Stolz’s coach Bob Corby (USA) had been a little annoyed by his slow start.
“You can’t save energy in a race like that. If you start fast, you’ll be tired in the last lap, and if you start slow, you be tired in the last lap too,” Corby said.
In Saturday’s 1000m Stolz wanted to do it differently, but still couldn’t quite manage it.
“Today I was trying to go all out, but I felt a little tired in the first 600m. I don't know what it was, I just couldn't get my speed going,” said Stolz.
“Maybe it’s from being sick [Stolz suffered strep throat and pneumonia after the Milwaukee World Cup] or something.”
Jordan Stolz (USA) continued his 1000m streak at this season's World Cup, winning in a track record time courtesy of a blistering last lap. © ISU
At 41.96s, Stolz clocked the eighth time at the 600m split, before shifting into his famous second gear.
With a 26.48 last lap, the American saved his perfect 1000m World Cup streak this season, finishing in a track record time of one minute 8.42s.
“On the last lap, it felt like I came back to it. I could push really hard. I just didn't really die off.”
When he saw Stolz crossing the finish line, Kjeld Nuis (NED) was excited.
“I think I could have beaten [Stolz] today,” the Dutchman said. “He was just not super, and I felt good."
Nuis skated in the final pairing against Cooper McLeod (USA). The American had a great start and benefited from the draft at the first back-stretch to set the fastest 600m split time in 41.24s. Nuis was also faster than Stolz at that point, but eventually McLeod had to settle for fourth place in 1:08.85, while Nuis seized silver in 1:08.78.
Kjeld Nuis (NED) saw an opportunity to beat Stolz but had to be content with closing the gap to the American to 0.3s and the silver medal. © ISU
“I was f***ing happy,” Nuis said. “The second place is really good. I made a mistake in the last corner, which is a pity because it would have been very tight [with Stolz], but then again, it’s just very good.
“In Milwaukee the gap was one second and now it’s 0.3s, so I took 70 percent off, but of course this is only possible because he [Stolz] is not super, and if that’s the case, you actually have to take advantage, so it’s a pity I didn’t, but still I’m on the right track.
“I’m really glad that I came here [in Tomaszów Mazowiecki], because this makes you f***ing strong. I just don’t like to skip races and only skating on fast ice makes you weak.
“Today was for the strong guys, you see who’s on the podium, Stolz, me and Ning Zhongyan (CHN), all 1500m guys.”
Ning Zhongyan (CHN, right) took the 1000m bronze and with it some confidence going into the final round of the World Cup and the World Championships. © ISU
Stolz, Nuis and Ning indeed were the only ones who skated the final lap under 27 seconds. Ning clocked a final time of 1:08.84, which gave him a lot of confidence going into the last month of the season.
Coming back from the Asian Winter Games in which he won the 1000m, 1500m and Team Sprint, Ning felt that he was not in top shape yet.
“Getting back to Europe after the Asian Winter Games, I suffered from the jetlag,” he admitted.
“Still, the result this weekend is very good, so I’m looking forward to the World Cup next week in Heerenveen and the World Championships."
Eitrem sets up showdown with Ghiotto for long-distance Trophy
Sander Eitrem (NOR) won Saturday’s 5000m in a time of 6 minutes and 16.62s, 1.56s short of his own 2023 track record.
Eitrem liked the ice in Poland. “It’s similar to the ice we’re used to in Norway,” he said.
“But at the moment we still have training legs, because we have been training hard for two weeks. I’m sure everybody has, but I think we [Norwegians] are in good shape."
Sander Eitrem (NOR) took the race for the long-distance Trophy to the final World Cup event with victory over rival Davide Ghiotto (ITA) in the 5000m. © ISU
Eitrem is ranked second in the long-distance World Cup and reduced the gap to leader Davide Ghiotto (ITA) to six points with just one race to go.
Ghiotto, who had set the bar for Eitrem in the sixth of eight pairings, eventually finished second in 6:18.29.
“Today was very hard, this track is very hard,” said the Italian.
Both Ghiotto and Eitrem said that they were looking forward to next week’s long-distance decider at the World Cup in Heerenveen.
Whereas Eitrem would prefer the two to have a head-to-head battle, Ghiotto wasn’t so sure what he wanted from the draw.
“Usually I prefer to start before [my rival] so I can make my own race and don't think about the time, but sometimes it’s different. Next week? I think in the end I’d prefer to skate first.”
Behind the two contenders for the long-distance Trophy, junior Metoděj Jílek (CZE) took bronze in 6:18.87.
Ghiotto (ITA, left) and Eitrem (NOR, centre) face a winner-takes-all showdown in Heerenveen next week. Metoděj Jílek (CZE, right) completed the 5000m podium. © ISU
“I’m really happy,” he said. “I hadn’t expected to perform as good as I did, because I was sick in the past days. My temperature was bit higher, it was nothing serious, but still, it limited me in the training and everything.”
For Jílek, who had already won a silver medal in the 10,000m at the Calgary World Cup four weeks ago, it was his first silverware in the 5000m.
Tomaszów Mazowiecki program
The Tomaszów Mazowiecki ISU World Cup Speed Skating will start with the first of two 500m races and the 1500m for both genders on Friday. Saturday’s program comprises the 3000m for women, the 5000m for men and the 1000m for both genders, while on Sunday both genders will skate 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
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