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Dutch sprinters lit up the opening day of the ISU speed skating world championships on Thursday, as Jenning de Boo and Femke Kok swept the men’s and women’s 500 metres and 1,000 distances to underline the host nation’s dominance in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
De Boo, denied Olympic gold in the 500 and 1,000 by American sensation Jordan Stolz at the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics last month, delivered a blistering response on home ice.
The 22-year-old stormed around the iconic Thialf oval in 33.78 seconds in the 500, obliterating Stolz’s 2025 track record.
Stolz had briefly taken the lead after skating in the 12th of 14 pairs, but De Boo, going immediately after him in the 13th pair, eclipsed the 21-year-old American’s time.
The Dutchman’s run drew a thunderous roar, and De Boo erupted in celebration the moment his mark flashed onto the scoreboard.
Quebec City’s Laurent Dubreuil raced to a time of 34.260 seconds in the first 500m race at the ISU speed skating world championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
The spotlight then shifted to the 1,000, where fans awaited Stolz’s response. De Boo skated first this time, clocking one minute 06.52 seconds, and Stolz ultimately finished 0.62 seconds behind him.
After day one of the world sprint championships, De Boo heads the men’s overall standings, followed by Stolz and Olympic 1,500 champion Zhongyan Ning of China.
On the women’s side, Kok, the 500 world record holder and Olympic champion, continued her stunning season. The 25-year-old, who also captured 1,000m silver in Milan, reaffirmed her supremacy in the sprint distances by breaking her own 2025 track record.
With Olympic 1,000 champion Jutta Leerdam skipping the championships, Kok stepped even more into the spotlight. Greeted by one of the night’s loudest ovations, she powered through the 500 in 36.67 seconds, finishing 0.63 quicker than compatriot Suzanne Schulting.
The 1,000 unfolded in similar fashion, with Kok and Schulting delivering a Dutch 1-2.
Kok leads the overall classification in the women’s field, with Schulting and Marrit Fledderus in second and third – a Dutch sweep of the top places that fueled a celebratory atmosphere inside Thialf, which, awash in orange, roared with the same passion that carried the Netherlands to five gold, six silver and two bronze in Milan.
Competition, featuring both sprint and all-round championships, continues Friday with the second 500 and 1,000 races for men and women. The all-round championships take centre stage over the weekend.
Quebec City’s Beatrice Lamarche raced to a time of 1:14.750 seconds in the first 1,000m race at the ISU speed skating world championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
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