Norway Sweeps Speed Skating Worlds
Norwegian skaters Sander Eitrem and Ragne Wiklund captured both titles at the ISU Speed Skating World Allround Championships in The Hague. Eitrem's victory marks Norway's first men's allround crown since 1994 — a 32-year drought that makes this a major milestone for Norwegian speed skating.
Sander Eitrem's path to the men's allround title was a dramatic comeback. Entering the final 10,000-meter race, he trailed American skater Jordan Stolz by a significant 23.7 seconds. Eitrem delivered a powerful performance in the grueling 25-lap race, while Stolz, who had competed in the sprint championships earlier in the weekend, faded to fourth overall. Ragne Wiklund's victory in the women's competition was equally historic, marking the first time a Norwegian woman has won the allround title since 1938. She sealed her championship in the final 5000m event, ultimately finishing ahead of Marijke Groenewoud of the Netherlands and Italy's Francesca Lollobrigida. The last Norwegian man to claim the allround world title was the legendary Johann Olav Koss in 1994. That year, Koss dominated the season, also winning three gold medals at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, setting new world records in each race. For Wiklund, the world title is another major achievement in a strong season. The 25-year-old from Oslo also captured three medals at the recent Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, securing silver in both the 1500m and 3000m, and a bronze in the 5000m. The men's podium was rounded out by Czech skater Metoděj Jílek, who took silver, and Vladimir Semirunniy from Poland with the bronze. Jílek's silver medal performance included a victory in the final 10,000m race. This dual victory for Norway at the Thialf Ice Skating Arena in Heerenveen provides a significant boost to the nation's speed skating program. Both Eitrem and Wiklund have previously been junior world champions, signaling a new era for a country with a deep history in the sport.
