This weekend's ISU World Cup finale in Inzell (GER) is the last test before the Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, but there's more at stake in the Bavarian Alps than just finding the right race rhythm. 

After four exciting weekends in 2025, the final event of the 2025/26 ISU World Cup series will prove decisive to the destinations of the overall trophies. 

Jordan Stolz (USA, pictured above) is on track to repeat last season's hat-trick of winning the 500m, 1000m and 1500m trophies, but the men's long-distance, Mass Start and Team Sprint rankings are still tight.

In the women's competition, the 1500m, Mass Start and Team Sprint rankings are close, while Femke Kok (NED) is seemingly en route to seizing both her first 500m World Cup Trophy since 2020/21 and her career first in the 1000m. 

Kok and Stolz reign in 500m

The Friday program starts with the first of two 500m races for both genders. Unbeaten Kok is chasing a ninth consecutive World Cup win and she may also keep an eye on the clock. After bringing the World Record down to 36.09s in Salt Lake City earlier this season, Kok might also be able to take her own Inzell track record (currently 37.07s) under 37 seconds. 

500m ranking leader Femke Kok (NED) will be hoping to secure the World Cup Trophy and improve on her own Inzell track record © ISU

For their part, Yukino Yoshida (JPN) and Olympic Champion Erin Jackson (USA) hope to get closer to Kok than they have been before this season.

In the men's 500m, fresh European champion Damian Zurek (POL) already got as close as 0.001s to World Cup leader Stolz at the fourth event in Hamar in December. In the ranking, the runner-up from Poland lags 70 points behind, however. Third-ranked Jenning de Boo (NED) is 98 points behind and remains, together with Kim Jun-Ho (KOR), the only skater other than Stolz to have won a 500m this season.

With a second 500m for both genders on Sunday, there are still 120 points at stake at the Max Aicher Arena this weekend.

Beune out for 1500m revenge 

The 1500m races on Friday will be decisive. Leader Miho Takagi (JPN) defends a seven-point gap over second-ranked Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong (NED) in the women’s field, but all of the top eight skaters in the standings are still within striking distance of the lead.

Miho Takagi (JPN) is under pressure from Dutch pair Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong and the unbeaten Joy Beaune in the 1500m © ISU

Third-ranked Joy Beune (NED) won the 1500m at the first three World Cup events, but finds herself 14 points behind Takagi after skipping the fourth race in Hamar to prepare for the Dutch Olympic trials. At those trials she did manage to qualify for the Olympic 3000m but missed out on a 1500m ticket for Milano Cortina. 

Beating Takagi in Inzell would offer some consolation, but might also add to the pain of missing out on a chance to compete for Olympic gold at a distance in which she has dominated.

In the men's field, Stolz has been unbeatable this season. Reigning Olympic champion Kjeld Nuis (NED) is second in the ranking at 44 points from the leader.

Tight battle in men's long distances 

Saturday's program features the final 1000m races for both genders and the long-distance deciders in the form of the 3000m for the women and the 5000m for the men. 

Ragne Wiklund (NOR) defends a 19-point lead over Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) in the women's standings, but third-ranked Valérie Maltais (CAN) and fourth-ranked Beune are also within a 60-point margin. Beune won the first two World Cup races, but Wiklund was stronger in the third race, while fifth-ranked Marijke Groenewoud (NED) took gold in the fourth event of the season.

The men's long-distance trophy is a tight battle between Metoděj Jílek (CZE), Timothy Loubineaud (FRA) and Sander Eitrem (NOR), with Casey Dawson (USA), Davide Ghiotto (ITA) and Ted-Jan Bloemen (CAN) also still in contention.

Metoděj Jílek (CZE) leads a close-fought long-distance field, with Timothy Loubineaud (FRA) and Sander Eitrem (NOR) hoping to overhaul him in the final 5000m race © ISU

Vladimir Semirunniy (POL) is too far behind in the rankings because he had trouble coming up to speed at the first two World Cups in North America, but the newly crowned European champion will be one of the contenders for 5000m gold at the Max Aicher Arena.

Another outsider to keep an eye on is Stijn van de Bunt (NED). The 21-year-old Dutchman will make his World Cup debut after surprisingly qualifying for Milano Cortina at the Dutch Olympic trials. 

Kok's 1000m challenge

While Stolz seems to be cruising towards the 1000m Trophy having won all four previous races, Kok has a battle at her hands keeping compatriots Marrit Fledderus (NED) and Jutta Leerdam (NED) at bay, as well as world record holder Brittany Bowe (USA), who sits in third place. 

Kok (center) faces the challenge of Dutch teammates Jutta Leerdam (left) and Marrit Fledderus (right), as well as Brittany Bowe (USA) in the 1000m © ISU

Fledderus hopes to make amends after missing out on a ticket for Milano Cortina due to two false starts at the Dutch Olympic trials.

Mass Start excitement on Sunday

Sunday's jam-packed schedule comprises the second 500m, the Mass Start and the Team Sprint events for both genders.

The men's Mass Start is very exciting. Jorrit Bergsma (NED) leads the ranking after winning two races, with Andrea Giovannini (ITA) in and Stolz sharing the other two; they sit second and fifth in the rankings respectively. Bart Swings (BEL) is third in the ranking and the experienced Olympic Champion finally left his knee problems behind when he won his fourth consecutive European title in Poland two weeks ago. 

Jorrit Bergsma has won two of the four Mass Start races this ISU World Cup season - the hat-trick would secure the Trophy for the Dutchman © ISU

Bergsma will be joined in the free-for-all by rookie Van de Bunt, because his regular World Cup teammate Bart Hoolwerf (NED) didn't make it into the Olympic team, and the race in Inzell gives the Dutch one final chance to test their new line-up.

Stolz, who won the World Cup race in Hamer, is enlisted as a substitute in the USA team for the event in Inzell.

In the women's field, leader Mia Manganello (USA) hopes to seize her career first World Cup Trophy in her final season on the ice. The 36-year-old American was runner-up behind Marijke Groenewoud (NED) last season and she's 13 points ahead of her Dutch rival at the start of the final race this season. Canada’s Ivanie Blondin is just a point further behind in third.

Mia Manganello (USA) can capture her first ever ISU World Cup Trophy at the final time of asking if she holds off Marijke Groenewoud (NED) in the Mass Start © ISU

The Inzell World Cup will be concluded with the non-Olympic Team Sprint event. The Netherlands leads the ranking in both genders, with Canada and Poland as main rivals in the women's field, and the USA and Poland in the men's.