Femke Kok (NED) hammered out another track record on the first day of this season's last World Cup event in Inzell, Germany. The Dutch sprinter is now undefeated in her last 13 World Cup races over 500m, and with this season's last race still to come on Sunday, Kok has already secured to World Cup Trophy in the distance. 

In the 1500m, Joy Beune (NED) maintained her undefeated record in the last race of the season, but Miho Takagi (JPN) went home with the Trophy because Beune had missed out on the fourth World Cup in Hamar. For the Dutchwoman, the World Cup gold was little consolation after failing to qualify for the 1500m at the Milano Cortina Olympic Games.

Kok brings Inzell mark under 37s

Kok has been in a league of her own all season in the 500m. After already having crushed the World record in Salt Lake City and set track records Hamar and Heerenveen, she became the first woman to skate under 37s at Inzell’s Max Aicher Arena on Friday. 

Beating her own previous track mark by 0.20s in a time of 36.87s, Kok was 0.35s faster than Jutta Leerdam (NED), who took silver. Newly crowned European 500m champion Kaja Ziomek-Nogal (POL) equalled Leerdam's time, but took bronze as she was 0.002s slower on a photo finish decision.

Femke Kok (NED) set the first sub-37s Women's 500m time in Inzell with her 23rd consecutive victory in the distance © ISU

Although it has been a while, Kok still remembered the last time she was not on top of the podium after a 1500m race. 

"That was in Quebec," she said. Since her silver medal at the World Cup in Quebec City on 2 February 2024, the Dutch sprinter has strung together a streak of 23 race wins in the 500m. 

In a pairing which pitched the Olympic Champion against the World Champion, the latter prevailed Erin Jackson (USA) ending in fourth place with a time of 37.44s. She was happy to be performing her signature down-start again after having been hampered by a chronic back-injury for most of the season so far.

Despite her convincing victory, Kok didn't rule Jackson out for the Olympic Games.

"Today, there was not so much pressure. Of course I'm happy with this 36-second race, but I know that she [Jackson] is always good when the pressure is on."

Kok had enjoyed a training camp in the Spanish sun after the pressure cooker of the Dutch Olympic trials in December. 

"That means I missed a little ice feeling, but that training camp also made me feel better after the stress of the trials,” she explained.

Jutta Leerdam (NED, left) and Kaja Ziomek-Nogal (POL, right) could only be separated by two-thousandths of a second for silver and bronze © ISU

Silver medalist Jutta Leerdam (NED) was content too. The 1000m specialist, who will also skate the 500m at the Olympic Games, said: "I was particularly happy with my 26.6 full lap. Instead of starting out fast and struggling towards the end, I was able to make pace in the second corner and I think that’s a good sign for the 1000m."

Yukino Yoshida (JPN), who was ranked second in the 500m before Friday's race, decided not to race in Inzell in preparation for the Olympic Games. With her being absent and third-ranked Jackson finishing fourth, Kok took an unassailable lead in the World Cup ranking with only Sunday's second 500m yet to come. 

Mixed feelings for golden Beune 

Joy Beune (NED) crossed the 1500m finish line in a time of 1 minute and 53.34s, to stay 0.25s ahead of Miho Takagi (JPN). Ragne Wiklund (NOR) took bronze in 1:53.72.

Joy Beaune (NED) made it four from four 1500m golds in this year's World Cup but is still hurting from missing out on an Olympic shot at the distance © ISU

Beune had a hard time celebrating her win. She still felt the pain of missing out on the chance to fight for Olympic gold in the 1500m despite having gone undefeated in all four World Cup races she skated.

"It just feels sh*t," she admitted. "Somehow it's nice to win, but it doesn’t make a difference. I might as well have finished fourth here.

"It's a mixed feeling to win, but not being able to show it at the Games." 

Both Takagi and Wiklund felt for Beune missing out on her favorite distance in Milano Cortina.

"To be honest, I was surprised to see the result [at the Dutch trials],” Takagi said. 

"Yet, it also made me realize that it's not normal to compete at the Olympic Games. It's really special and I have to enjoy it. 

“On the other hand, it's a pity [that Beune doesn't skate the 1500m], because I was looking forward to fighting with her."

 Miho Takagi (JPN) showed the consistency to win the World Cup Trophy in the 1500m © ISU

Even with Beune absent in the 1500m, Takagi isn’t taking anything for granted. 

"Femke [Kok] will skate the 1500m, and in the end it doesn’t matter who I'm competing with, I'll have to focus on my own skating,” she said.

Carrying home the 1500m World Cup Trophy was a nice bonus for Takagi, but her feeling on the ice had been more important. 

"My feeling and the result are connecting now, and that's good for me. I still have little things to improve, which is a good thing in the run-up to Games."

Both Takagi, left, and Ragne Wiklund (NOR, right) regret Beune's absence from the 1500m in Milan Cortina © ISU

Bronze medalist Ragne Wiklund (NOR) had a bumpy run-up to her 1500m race in Inzell. 

"I was feeling really good yesterday, but then I went into the pillows on training. That was probably my first fall in about five years and I was a bit shocked,” she admitted.

"The last 24 hours, I've been overthinking just what happened, and I felt quite exhausted. That was probably my body trying to recover from the adrenaline kick."

Expect for some minor bruises, Wiklund didn’t suffer severe injuries and she drew confidence from her 1500m performance.

"My speed was very good today, and that's the most vulnerable part during the current training block in which we to a bit more endurance. So I'm very happy to see that I'm responding so well."

Like Takagi, Wiklund had also been surprised to see that Beune missed out on Olympic qualification.

"I think the Dutch federation should reconsider the way people qualify for the Olympics,” she said. 

“We will really miss her in the 1500m, but to be honest, now I'm even more scared of her in the 3000m [for which Beune did manage to get an Olympic ticket]."