Speed Skating World Cup (ISU)

The series of individual distances

The World Cup in speed skating consists of several stops, each featuring some of the distances: 500 metres, 1000 metres, 1500 metres and the long distances of 3000 and 5000 metres for women and 5000 and 10,000 metres for men. There are also the team pursuit, team sprint and mass start. The World Cup was introduced in the 1985/86 season.

Standings

Points are awarded for every placing. Standings are kept separately by distance: there is a World Cup winner over 500 metres, one over 1000 metres and so on. The long distances are often combined. The final at the end of the season often awards extra points.

Division A and B

So that races don't get too crowded, skaters are divided into a Division A for the best and a Division B. Those who skate strongly in the B group can move up to the A group. This way, skaters from smaller nations get international races too.

Venues

Regular venues include Heerenveen in the Netherlands, Inzell in Germany, Calgary and Salt Lake City in North America, as well as ovals in Poland, Norway and Asia. The high-altitude ovals in Calgary and Salt Lake City are considered particularly fast. More on ovals and ice under Natural vs. artificial ice.

Qualification for championships

World Cup results determine how many start places a country receives at the Single Distance World Championships and the Olympic Games. For skaters, the World Cup is therefore not just a competition in its own right but also the route to the highlights.

Germany, Austria, Switzerland

German skaters such as Claudia Pechstein and Anni Friesinger-Postma won numerous World Cup races in their best years. In Austria, Vanessa Herzog was successful over the sprint distances. The Max Aicher Arena in Inzell is a regular host.

Watching

World Cup races are easy to follow for spectators: two skaters start at the same time and split times are shown immediately. In the Netherlands, the arena in Heerenveen has a folk-festival atmosphere.

Final

The World Cup final at the end of the season often decides close overall standings. Only the best skaters on each distance start there.

Record skaters

Dutchman Sven Kramer won the World Cup standings over the long distances for many years. His compatriot Ireen Wüst is the most successful Olympian in speed skating with 13 medals and won gold at five consecutive Winter Games. More recently, American Jordan Stolz caused a sensation by winning three titles at each of the 2023 and 2024 Single Distance World Championships.

Inzell as host

The Max Aicher Arena in Inzell is a regular World Cup venue. Since it was roofed in 2011, conditions have been independent of the weather and fast times are possible. For German skaters, the home race is a highlight of the season.

Changing distances

The World Cup programme has changed over the years. The mass start and team sprint were added to make races more attractive for spectators. The long distances are raced less often than they used to be.

From World Cup to championships

The World Cup season is split into two parts: the races before Christmas mainly serve to qualify for start places at the championships. After the turn of the year come the European Championships and World Championships, followed by the World Cup final.