Jordan Stolz (USA) took an early lead in the ISU Speed Skating Allround World Championship with a superb 500m before Sander Eitrem (NOR) countered with a superior 5000m. It's the story of an exciting competition that will repeat itself in the 1500m and 10,000m on Sunday. 

Stolz goes into the second day with a small gap in his favor, but Eitrem's countryman Peder Kongshaug (NOR), who sits in third place after two distances, believes his teammate will be able to reel Stolz in in the longest - and last - distance. 

Stolz sprints into big lead after 500m

After having posted 500m times of 34.13s and 34.17s in the Sprint Championships on Thursday and Friday, it was no surprise that Stolz won the shortest distance in the Allround Tournament on Saturday. But for the American it wasn't about the winning, it was about taking as big a gap as he could over the rest of the field before the long distances began.

In clocking 34.22s on Saturday, Stolz got the gap he wanted. Kongshaug took second place in 36.01s, and Finn Elias Haneberg (NOR) came in third in 36.11s.

Jordan Stolz (USA) achieved his goal of setting a fast time in the 500m, finishing almost two seconds ahead of second place © ISU

Eitrem, one of Stolz's main rivals for the title, clocked the 12th best time in 36.94s, which left him 27.20s behind the American in the 5000m. 

"After the 500m I was really disappointed, I was hoping to skate a 36.5s," said Eitrem. "But I managed to turn that disappointment into motivation." 

Eitrem strikes back with Thialf track record

Eitrem duly struck back in the 5000m, smashing the track record in 6:01.61, beating the mark set by Patrick Roest (NED) in 2022 by a full 3.75 seconds. Stolz had already posted a time of 6 minutes and 19.66s to finish 11th in the distance. 

While the American therefore held on to first place in the overall ranking, Eitrem climbed up to second place, 2.75s behind Stolz ahead of Sunday's opening men's race, the 1500m. 

Long-distance specialist Sander Eitrem (NOR) accepted Stolz' challenge, breaking the track record in the 5000m to lie second © ISU

The Norwegian admitted he hadn't looked as much at the standings as he had at the Thialf record board before his 5000m race.

"[The record] was on my mind for sure,” he said.

“Patrick Roest was one of of the best. If I beat that record, it would be pretty awesome to get my name on that board, and I managed it."

After he took the record, Eitrem was ready to look at the standings again. 

"It's going to be really exciting. Jordan Stoltz will be difficult to beat, but I can see it's possible, for sure I'm going to give it my everything,” he vowed.

"Jordan Stolz is the best skater in my eyes, but it's nice to see that he is also a human being and that he also starts to show a bit of weakness."

Eitrem, who has already broken the World and Olympic Records this year, reacts to setting another landmark time © ISU

Stolz himself was happy with his 5000m race.

"I would have liked it to be a little bit faster, maybe by four seconds, but I think it's all right for now."

The American defending champion was already calculating times and ranking points for the 10,000m. 

"I think if I can hold on to 31-second laps [in the 10,000m], I'd be in a good spot. If I have 30 seconds going into the 10,000m, I think I'd be alright."

In order to get a 30-second gap, Stolz will have to deliver another big blow in the 1500m, because his current lead of 0.915 points translates to 9.15s in the 10,000m.

Kongshaug tips teammate for the win

Kongshaug had mixed feelings about sitting third in the ranking after the first two distances.

"I skated a better first day than one year ago at the Europeans [when he finished second behind Eitrem], and then I was over the moon, and now it's a normal day at the office,” he said.

“The level has increased a lot, and watching Sander is just unbelievable."

Peder Kongshaug (NOR), in third place after two events, is backing compatriot Eitrem for glory on Sunday © ISU

Kongshaug had few doubts about who would be on top of the ranking after four distances on Sunday.

"Of course Sander is the favorite, even though he didn't do his best 500m, I think he will be somewhat close in the 1500m and then, of course, in the 10,000m he has way more potential than what he has shown, so I expect a pretty crazy 10,000m."

Kongshaug himself will have his hands full defending his podium spot against endurance specialists Metoděj Jílek (CZE) and Vladimir Semirunniy (POL), who took third and fourth place respectively in the 5000m. Semirunniy sits fourth in the ranking, 0.78s behind Kongshaug in the 1500m, and Jílek is fifth at 1.03s from third place.

The men’s Allround Championships continues on Sunday with the 1500m at 14:16 CET, concluding with the 10,000m at 16:06.