Metoděj Jílek (CZE) broke the 16-year-old 5000m track record set by legendary Dutch skater Sven Kramer at the ISU World Cup Speed Skating in Hamar on Saturday. The 19-year-old Czech finished in a time of 6 minutes and 7.58s to take 2.16s off the previous mark. Before Jílek’s exploit, Jordan Stolz (USA) won the 1000m, skating his sixth consecutive track record across two World Cup weekends. 

Jílek finds extra gear to take track record

“Before the race, I thought that without the track record, you were not going to win today,” Jílek said. Before he took to the starting line, he had changed his mind, however.

“During the first pairs, the ice condition didn't seem that good to me, so I was just trying to hold the base to beat Vladimir Semirunniy.”

The Polish endurance specialist, who set a track record in last week’s 10,000m B Division race in Heerenveen to earn promotion to the long-distance A Division, had set the 5000m bar in Hamar at 6:13.56 in the first pairing. When Jílek stepped onto the ice against Timothy Loubineaud (FRA) in the seventh and penultimate pairing, Semirunniy was still on top of the leaderboard. 

New 5000m track record holder Metoděj Jílek (CZE) was only three years old when Sven Kramer set the previous mark. © ISU

With his Polish rival's time as his target, Jílek managed to pick up the pace during the race. 

“In the end, I had some strength left, so I even sped up and secured the track record.”

When Kramer set the previous track mark, Jílek was only three years old.

“I've seen him skate on videos on YouTube, not live back then, I wasn't into speed skating yet.

“It's a very nice feeling, to take the track record because it stood for quite a long time. That means a lot,” he said.

Jílek's pairmate Loubineaud clocked 6:12.29 to take silver and Sander Eitrem (NOR) took bronze in 6:13.49.

Timothy Loubineaud (FRA, left) finished five seconds behind Jílek to take silver. Sander Eitrem (NOR, right) stood on the 5000m podium for the third time this season. © ISU

Of all the long-distance specialists, Eitrem is the only one to have finished on all of the three 5000m podiums this World Cup season. 

“I’m consistent, so that’s good,” the Norwegian 5000m World Champion said. “But today I was not close to Jílek. It felt a bit heavy from the start.”

Semirunniy eventually dropped off the podium in a heartbreaking battle for the third and last Olympic quota place in the men’s 5000m. The battle was between Beau Snellink (NED), Riccardo Lorello (ITA), Semirunniy and Sigurd Henriksen (NOR), who had already won the B Division.

Snellink eventually got 14th place and Hendriksen 15th to secure the third quota place for the Netherlands and the second for Norway, but it had been close right up until the end of the competition. Semirunniy had dropped out of the ranking only when Eitrem pushed the Polish skater off the podium in the final pairing, with Lorello left empty-handed because both Eitrem and Casey Dawson (USA) had been faster than him in the last heat.

Stolz sets another rink record

In the 1000m, Jordan Stolz added a sixth consecutive track record to the impressive streak he started last week in Heerenveen. The American again beat Jenning de Boo (NED) in a face-to-face battle. Clocking 1:07.63, he was 0.42s faster than the now injured Joep Wennemars (NED) had been when he took the World title in Hamar last year.

Jordan Stolz (USA) extended his track record-breaking streak to six races, taking 0.42s off Hamar's 1000m best. © ISU

The quick turnaround after last night’s 1500m had not been easy on Stolz. 

“The 1500m was at 9.30pm last night, so it was a little bit harder than usual. But it’s still track record and I’m happy about the time,” he said.

De Boo, who eventually finished fourth in 1:08.28, had been able to keep up with Stolz until the 600m split, but the American sped away in the final lap. Having that extra kick at the end, is a special asset, Stolz acknowledged.

“It helps me. If I see him [De Boo] right with the boot at 600m or slightly ahead, I'm pretty confident I can get him in the last lap.

“I like starting outer with him, just because I can hear him coming up.”

Damian Zurek (POL) finished second in 1:08.21 and Kjeld Nuis (NED) took bronze in 1:08.25. 

Damian Zurek (POL, left) finished second behind Stolz, while Kjeld Nuis (NED) surprised himself with bronze in his less favoured distance. © ISU

The Dutchman was over the moon with his medal.

“Very happy, relieved and maybe a little bit surprised,” he declared. 

“I beat Finn Sonnekalb (GER), Jenning [de Boo] and Tim Prins (NED). I really had not expected that.

“I even considered not skating the 1000m at the Olympic trials, just to focus fully on the 1500m. I even thought that last night. And then this morning I thought, I’ll do a little tempo-lap and then skate the 1000m anyway, and then this result.

“So I definitely will skate the 1000m at the Olympic trials. In Milan, there’s similar conditions [to the sea-level ice in Hamar] and that’s to my advantage. I’d laugh myself to death if I’d take a medal in the 1000m there.”

Due to a disqualification in the first World Cup of the season, Nuis is only 13th in the World Cup ranking. Stolz leads with four gold medals, followed by De Boo and Zurek.

Ghiotto honored with ‘Speed Skating Oscar’

Before Saturday’s A Division racing, Davide Ghiotto (ITA), who finished seventh in Saturday’s 5000m, received the Oscar Mathisen Award. The prestigious Norwegian prize has been awarded for the best speed skating performance of the previous season since 1959.

Ghiotto received the prize for shattering the 10,000m World Record of 12:30.74 (set by Nils van der Poel of Sweden) by a little over five seconds to set the new mark at 12:25.69 in Calgary last season. 

Davide Ghiotto (ITA) celebrates breaking the 10,000m World Record in Calgary in January 2025. Today he was awarded the Oscar Mathisen Award for the feat. © ISU

Threefold 1994 Olympic Champion and double Oscar Mathisen Award Winner Johann Olav Koss handed the award to the Italian World 10,000m Champion, and welcomed him to the club.

“It’s a fantastic 10,000m, 12.25, for us old guys, we didn’t even think that would be possible. What you’ve shown in the last three years in the 10,000m is incredible,” Koss said.

Ghiotto felt truly honored. “It’s a great pleasure to take this award,” he said. 

“I want to thank my teammates and my coach Maurizio Marchetto. I get this award today, but it’s not just me, it’s teamwork.”

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