Kristina Shumekova (KAZ) became the first ISU Junior World Champion from Kazakhstan in speed skating history this weekend in Inzell (GER). The 19-year-old Kazakh skater, pictured above, won three individual distances en route to the Allround Title.

In the men's competition Finn Sonnekalb (GER) also won three individual distances to seize his second consecutive Junior World Title. Both Shumekova and Sonnekalb will move on to the senior category next season.

Shumekova defeats defending champion Rosner

Having won the 1000m and 3000m Junior World Cups this season, Shumekova went into the World Championships as one of the favorites, but she still had to deal with last year's champion, Jeannine Rosner (AUT).

Rosner did not skate at the third and last Junior World Cup event this season because she competed in four events at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, with an eighth place finish in the Mass Start as her best result.

Kristina Shumekova won three individual distances to become the first World Junior Champion from Kazakhstan, adding the Team Sprint for good measure © ISU

Back among her peers, Rosner started the Junior World Championships with an 11th place finish in the 500m. Shumekova had a head start in winning the shortest distance in 38.48s, which was 1.20s faster than the defending champion.

Shumekova extended her lead in the ranking by winning both the 1500m in a time of 1 minute and 56.06s and the 1000m in 1:16.34, whereas Rosner came in second in the 1500m (1:56.36) and third in the 1000m (1:17.00). 

Rosner did win the concluding 3000m in 4 minutes and 2.39s, with Shumekova coming second in 4:03.99, but the gap was too big for the Austrian to threaten the Kazakh girl’s hold on first place.

Shumekova wears the Allround Champion's garland alongside silver medalist Jeannine Rosner (AUT) and Jasmijn Veenhuis (NED) in bronze © ISU

Dutch Jasmijn Veenhuis (NED) finished third overall, leaving compatriot Mette ten Cate (NED) in fourth place. 

On Sunday, Poland’s Hanna Mazur won the girls’ Mass Start, while Shumekova added the Team Sprint title to her tally alongside Kazakh teammates Anastasija Belovodova and Varvara Glukhova.

Sonnekalb reigns supreme

After his Olympic campaign in Milan had been hampered by illness, Finn Sonnekalb (GER) struck back at the Junior World Championships in Inzell. 

With a personal best of 35.13s in the 500m, the German left Norway's Miika Johan Klevstuen (NOR) 0.42s behind. Sonnekalb went on to win the 1500m in 1 minute and 44.86s, with a 1.15s margin over second-ranked Taiga Sasaki (JPN), and the 1000m in 1:08.35, leaving Klevstuen 1.55s adrift in second.

Finn Sonnekalb (GER) shrugged off a disappointing Olympic Games to win three races and retain his Allround title in Inzell © ISU

Thijs Wiersma (NED) made up a little under 17 seconds in the 5000m but still ended up second behind Sonnekalb in the overall ranking. The Dutchman skated a time of 6 minutes and 17.63s to end up second in the longest distance. Liu Hanbin (CHN), who did not compete in the shorter distances, won the 5000m in 6:14.38.

Eirik Andersen (NOR) was third overall after a solid showing in all four qualifying distances.

Sonnekalb celebrates his title alongside Thijs Wiersma (NED) in silver and Eirik Andersen (NOR) in bronze © ISU

Vadim Chebardakov (KAZ) won the boys’ Mass Start event on Sunday, while Sonnekalb added the Team Sprint title to his name together with teammates Ben-Luca Kleinke (fourth overall) and Levente Engst.

China's Liu Yunqi  and Pan Baoshuo concluded the ISU World Junior Championships with gold in the Mixed Relay.