The first medals were won and the first track records set at the opening ISU Junior World Cup event of the season at the temporary speed skating oval built for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.

Kristina Shumekova (KAZ, pictured) was queen of the women’s junior category with three gold medals. Taiga Sasaki (JPN) took three golds and a silver in the men’s junior category, while Meike Veen (NED) won twice in the women’s neo-senior category.

Neo-seniors set new track records 

Shumekova took gold in the junior 1000m, 1500m and 3000m, but the track records in these events went to neo-senior skaters Meike Veen (NED) and Ashley Völker (GER). Veen won the 1000m in a time of 1 minute and 16.61s and the 1500m in 1:57.66. Völker claimed the 3000m win in 4:13.33.

Meike Veen (NED) won the 1000m and 1500m Neo-senior events, setting inaugural track records on Milan's new Olympic oval. © ISU

Shizuko Okuaki (JPN) won the junior 500m in the first track record on Sunday (39.29s), but neo-senior Serena Pergher (ITA) was over a second faster in the neo-senior category to set a new Milano rink mark of 38.16s.

Kokoro Mitsui (JPN) won the women’s junior Mass Start race, and Sofia Schilder (NED) beat compatriot Jade Groenewoud (NED) in the final sprint to take gold at neo-senior level.

In the Team Pursuit Japan won the women’s junior event, while home nation Italy took neo-senior gold. 

Asia dominates men’s junior category 

Taiga Sasaki won the men’s junior 1500m and 3000m, while Korea swept the podium in the men’s junior 500m. Yun-Seong Yong seized gold in 1:11.48, with Man-Hyeok Han taking silver and Seonung Shin bronze.

Taiga Sasaki (JPN) dominated the men's junior races, winning gold in the 1500m, 3000m and Team Pursuit and adding silver in the Mass Start. © ISU

The junior men’s 500m was also an all-Asian affair, with Tianyu Zhou (CHN) taking first place in 35.64s and Japan’s Daigo Takahashi and Toma Gunji coming second and third respectively.

Japan also won the men’s junior Team Pursuit to give Sasaki another gold alongside teammates Taiki Shingai and Yuta Fuchigami, while Baoshuo Pan (CHN) took the Mass Start gold, Sasaki adding silver to his haul and Kim Seung-Kyum (KOR) taking the bronze.

Home nation tops neo-senior 3000m podium

Byeong-Hun Lee (KOR) won the men’s junior 500m in a track record time of 35.49s, while Kayo Vos (NED) set the 1000m track mark at 1:10.87 to win the neo-senior 1000m.

Sijmen Egberts (NED) won the neo-senior men’s 1500m in a track record time of 1:48.13.

Riccardo Lorello leads Italian teammates Manuel De Carli and Manuel Ghiotto to victory in the Neo-senior Team Pursuit to add to his 3000m gold. © ISU

The men’s 3000m celebrated an Italian 1-2 on the podium with Riccardo Lorello (ITA) on top and Manuel Ghiotto (ITA), the younger brother of 10,000m World Record holder Davide Ghiotto (ITA), taking silver.

Lorello and Ghiotto joined Manuel De Carli (ITA) to win the neo-senior Team Pursuit, while Chris de Velde (NED) concluded the Milano event by taking gold in the neo-senior Mass Start for men.