Marijke Groenewoud (NED) took her first ISU World Cup victory of the season in a classic distance, winning the 3000m in Hamar on Saturday. Isabelle Weidemann (CAN) took silver and home favorite Ragne Wiklund won her second bronze of the weekend after third place in Friday’s 1500m. In the 1000m, Miho Takagi (JPN) added her second victory of the weekend to Friday’s 1500m win. 

Groenewoud feels good on slow ice

Although Groenewoud had already won the Mass Start race at last week’s World Cup in Heerenveen, she had not finished on the podium in a classic distance yet this season. Starting in the fourth of eight pairings, she stopped the clock at 4 minutes and 0.95s, which was 2.95s short of the track record set by Olympic Champion Irene Schouten (NED) in 2022.

Marijke Groenewoud (NED) added 3000m gold to last week's Mass Start win and guaranteed two Olympic quota places for Dutch women in the 5000m. © ISU

Groenewoud started fast and saw her lap times gradually going up from sub-31, to sub-32 laps, closing off with a 32.2s and a 35.5s lap. By winning gold, Groenewoud sealed the much-coveted maximum amount of two Olympic quota places for the Netherlands in the 5000m, but that was something she had not been aware of during her race.

“I heard that the KNSB [the Royal Dutch Skating Federation] was happy with me, so that’s why,” she laughed. 

“I wasn’t thinking about [quota places], I just wanted to skate well for myself. I don’t think that it would help me to skate faster, if I would worry about [securing quota places].”

After a difficult start to the World Cup season in North America, Groenewoud is finding her form on the slower European tracks that are more similar to the Milan rink which will host the Olympic Games Speed Skating events in February.

“We should forget about Salt Lake City and Calgary [the first two World Cups of this season]. Over the past weeks I felt better. I think I should be able to skate well on fast tracks too, but slower tracks [such as sea-level Hamar] suit me well, so I’m looking forward to Milan.”

In the sixth pairing, Weidemann and Wiklund started at a slower pace, but they both managed to maintain their pace throughout the whole 7½-lap race. Wiklund led the way, but Weidemann eventually pipped her to the line with a strong 31.58s lap. The Canadian came 0.35s short to beat Groenewoud, however. Wiklund finished 0.11s behind Weidemann.

Weidemann explained her tactics. “I wanted to stay with [Wiklund] for as long as possible. She starts really well, so I wanted to hold on to her a little bit more than I have previously,” she said.

The Canadian put her trust in her extra gear for the second half of the race. “Once I find the pace, that's usually when other people are starting to struggle.”

“I'm watching people skate away from me. I don't have the sprint at the beginning, but I know that.”

Isabelle Weidemann (CAN, left) and Ragne Wiklund (NOR, right) went head-to-head in an exciting sixth pairing, the Canadian pipping the local favorite to silver. © ISU

Wiklund also knew it. She could see Weidemann coming, but wasn’t able to hold her off. 

“I saw it, also the last back stretch, I could feel she was going fast, and I thought maybe I could catch it in the inner corner, but then the final straight, it's really fun to battle like that,” she said.

“The last lap is not my strongest. I think everyone knows that. So, I need to take it earlier, go out harder.”

A strong start was exactly where Wiklund thought she could have made a difference after a race that felt good. 

“I feel like I didn’t make many mistakes. I had quite a slow lap early on, which I think was unnecessary, but I think it was a good race.”

Confidence boost for tired Takagi

Earlier on Saturday, Miho Takagi (JPN) won the 1000m in a time 1 of minute 14.39s, which was only 0.64s short of her own 2020 track record. She had been tired because of the short turnaround coming off Friday night’s 1500m win.

“I’m so tired now, my brain is already gone,” Takagi said after her race. Despite the fatigue, she was still able to analyze her performance quite well.

“Today, I felt much better than yesterday, I'm getting better every race, and that’s what I really need going into the Olympic Games."

Miho Takagi (JPN) picked up her second gold medal of the weekend, adding the 1000m title to yesterday's 1500m win. © ISU

In Milano Cortina, Takagi will defend her Olympic 1000m title, but she’ll have a busy schedule.

“My focus is the 1500m and the 1000m, and also the Team Pursuit. I’m not sure about the 500m. I need more speed.”

Femke Kok (NED) usually has that speed. She had convincingly won Friday’s 500m, and she got out of the blocks quicker than Takagi in the 1000m on Saturday. At the 600m split, Kok was 0.24s faster than Takagi, but the World 500m Champion lacked power in the final lap and eventually finished 0.34s behind Takagi to take second place.

“Not super,” Kok said. “I missed a bit of the snappiness. The fatigue kicks in. It was late racing last night and getting up early this morning, I didn’t even have time to properly warm up.” 

Kok also decided to skip the second 500m race in Hamar on Sunday, flying back to the Netherlands to prepare for the Olympic trials. 

“I needed this race, to keep the momentum going in the run-up to the trials.”

Kok’s team-mate and friend Marrit Fledderus (NED) took bronze in 1:15.39.

“I’m content, but my first lap could have been a lot better,” she said. 

“It’s good to be on the podium, I’m very stable this season and that gives me confidence in the run-up to the trials."

Takagi had Dutch company on the podium, Femke Kok, left, picking up silver and Marrit Fledderus, right, the bronze. © ISU

Fledderus climbed up to second place in the 1000m World Cup ranking behind Kok and ahead of Brittany Bowe (USA), who finished fourth on Saturday. 

“That’s a nice to have,” Fledderus said of her ranking. 

“It’s not something I focus on, but it would be really cool to be on the podium by the end of the season. I think I never got higher than fifth place in a World Cup Trophy.”

Olympic qualification

The first four World Cups serve as Olympic qualification events. Speed skaters will earn quotas for their National Olympic Committees through the Special Olympic Qualification Classifications (SOQCS). Quotas will be allocated based on the SOQC Points ranking (based on points achieved at specific World Cup events) and the SOQC Times ranking (based on the best times per athlete achieved at specific World Cup events).

The maximum amount of quota places per NOC is nine skaters per gender. The quota places are determined by the SOQCS, and allocated to NOCs, not to individual skaters. There’s also a maximum amount of quota places per NOC in each distance at the Olympic Games.

For details on Olympic Qualification, click here