#SpeedSkating

For the first time in 20 years, the ISU World Cup series returned to Milwaukee, the home track of Jordan Stolz (USA). The 20-year-old Wisconsin native extended his World Cup winning streak with a 1000m track record after Sander Eitrem (NOR) had won the 5000m in a track record, too.

At the opening ceremony, a moment of silence was observed to honor those lost in the American Airlines tragedy and their loved ones. ISU Representative Ms. Suwanna Silpa-Archa delivered a heartfelt speech, saying, “Tonight, we stand in solidarity — with our figure skating family and with U.S. Figure Skating. In this moment, in our hearts, we are all skaters.”

Stolz thrives on home crowd

Track record after track record was broken on Friday night, before Jordan Stolz (USA) took the ice in the final race of the day.

In the penultimate 1000m race, Jenning de Boo (NED) had set the bar at 1 minute and 6.05s, still a little under a second slower than Stolz’s 2023 track record.

Jordan Stolz of the United States reacts after winning the men’s 1000m at ISU World Cup Milwaukee on January 31, 2025. © ISU

Given the fact that last week in Calgary, De Boo trailed Stolz by just .15s, the Milwaukee track record in the 1000m seemed to be a lofty target, but Stolz thought differently.

Anticipating the enthusiastic home crowd, the American star hammered out a time of 1:06.16, skating over a second faster than De Boo and breaking his track record by a 1.04s margin.

“Looking at the times earlier, it was going to be really fast,” Stolz said. “Even in the warm-up I could feel it, it was really good, so I had a lot of confidence.”

The enthusiastic home crowd had also given Stolz a boost.

“They were really energetic towards me, so it was nice to see. Even in the warm-up before I even raced. That was really nice to hear.”

Men’s 1000m podium at ISU World Cup Milwaukee: Jenning de Boo of Netherlands (silver), Jordan Stolz of USA (gold), Kjeld Nuis of Netherlands (bronze). © ISU

Stolz tried to explain why the gap with silver medalist De Boo was so much bigger than last week.

“I think I’m used to this track, and we’re at sea level now, so maybe he benefited from being at [high] altitude, where he has more glide in the last lap, since his second lap is kind of his weaker point. Maybe that was it, but I had a really good one.”

De Boo himself did not have an explanation.

Jenning de Boo of Netherlands races to a silver medal in men’s 1000m at ISU World Cup Milwaukee. © ISU

“He’s just very, very good here, and we [himself and bronze medalist and teammate Kjeld Nuis, NED] are not at the level he’s at.

“I think I’m just tired, and he skates in front of a home crowd, which can be a huge advantage but also a burden. In his case, he really takes it well.”

The fact that pair-mate Tim Prins (NED) crashed out of the race in the second corner was no excuse, De Boo insisted.

Tim Prins of the Netherlands wipes out during the men’s 1000m at ISU World Cup Milwaukee. © ISU

“Maybe I could have gone one or two tenths’ faster, but then it [the gap with Stolz] is still a second. It wouldn’t have made much of a difference,” De Boo said.

Nuis was content to finish just .11s behind De Boo in third place.

“It’s the highest possible place, although maybe it could have been silver. I messed up my third corner, which may have cost me a tenth or zo. But Jenning [De Boo] also had an incident with Tim [Prins] crashing, so that evens out,” said Nuis.

“Even if silver could have been possible, gold is still far away. It [may] sound a bit soft, be we just have taken it for granted that the gold is his [Stolz’s]. He’s at another level; we have to be realistic.”

Kjeld Nuis of Netherlands took bronze in men’s 1000m at ISU World Cup Milwaukee. © ISU

Yet, Nuis thought he still had room for improvement. “Almost everybody skates faster here, than they have done at Thialf [Heerenveen], so this track seems to be faster than Thialf, while I skated the same time I’ve done at Thialf. That means I just didn’t show the level that I’m capable of.”

Stolz seized his 20th consecutive World Cup win in the 500m, 1000m and 1500m. His 5000m race on 28 January in Salt Lake City last year interrupted that run, which means that his undefeated World Cup streak is 16 at the moment.

In the World Cup ranking, Stolz, De Boo and Nuis remained first, second and third.

Eitrem pips Ghiotto in 5000m

The long-distance World Cup has become a two-horse race between Davide Ghiotto (ITA) and Sander Eitrem (NOR) this season. With Ghiotto setting a new 10,000m world record last week in Calgary, it was Eitrem’s turn in Milwaukee to take the 5000m gold in a new track record.

Before Eitrem finished his 5000m race in a time of 6 minutes and 4.74s, the track record had already been broken four times in the B Division, with Peder Kongshaug (NOR) coming out on top in 6:08.82. In total, nine B Division skaters skated faster than the previous mark of 6:15.61 set by Casey Dawson (USA) on 1 November 2024.

Sander Eitrem of Norway got revenge for last week’s bronze-medal performance in the men’s 10,000m in Calgary (above). © ISU

Dawson himself skated a new personal best of 6:07.93 in the A Division, to clock the fastest time after five out of eight pairings.

Eitrem got the better of him with 6:06.20 in the seventh pairing, while Ghiotto stopped the clock at 6:04.23 in the eighth pairing against Beau Snellink (NED), who skated 6:08.91 to leave Dawson in fourth place.

Although he didn’t get what he set out for, Eitrem was content with his result.

“I went out at world record pace, pushing 28.6s laps was the target, but early on I already felt that it wasn’t going to work today,” Eitrem said. “Still, I’m very happy with a track record and the win today.”

Ghiotto still leads the long-distance World Cup ranking, but Eitrem comes closer in second place.

“Being consistent is one of my biggest targets in the season,” Eitrem said.

Ghiotto and Snellink had mixed feelings after their race. The two faced each other in the final pairing. Ghiotto was a little bit ahead throughout the entire race, but Snellink fought back in the last two laps, which resulted in an awkward change-up at the final back stretch.

Davide Ghiotto of Italy skating to gold in last week’s 10,000m in Calgary (above). © ISU

The two skaters were level coming out of the penultimate corner, with Ghiotto on the outer lane and Snellink at a higher pace on the inner.

“I wanted to wait for him to cross in front of me, so I could draft a little and try to catch him on the final inner corner,” Ghiotto explained.

Snellink did not manage to get far enough ahead to cross in front, however.

“I had a faster pace, but I didn’t dare to cross in front, so I had to make the decision to let the change-up go [and have Ghiotto cross in front],” Snellink said afterwards. “I’m gutted because I lose at least .8s to a full second that way. I just blew it on that change-up. It feels as if I threw away silver.”

Coming in third, Snellink also retained third place in the World Cup ranking.

Milwaukee program

After Friday’s excitement, the Milwaukee World Cup will resume with the first of two 500m races and the 1500m for both genders on Saturday, while on Sunday both genders will compete in the Team Pursuit, the second 500m, to conclude with the Mass Start.

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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