Chart by Nett Racing from US Speedskating and the ISU.
Long track speed skating opens its World Cup season on Friday, November 13, in Beijing, China. Three days of racing run through Sunday, November 15, on the National Speed Skating Oval, the rink people call the Ice Ribbon. It was built for the Winter Olympics that Beijing hosted, and the skaters will be back on the same ice in February for the World Championships.
Who will not be there
Jordan Stolz, the Olympic champion from Kewaskum, Wisconsin, is skipping Beijing. He will open his World Cup season a week later in Obihiro, Japan. Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands, second to Stolz in the Olympic 500 m and 1000 m, crashed his bike and broke a collarbone, so he will miss Beijing.
Some familiar faces have retired, among them Brittany Bowe of the US, Miho Takagi and Martina Sablikova. Jutta Leerdam of the Netherlands is taking a long break.
The US team
US Speedskating picked its team for the fall World Cups at a qualifier in Milwaukee, October 30 to November 1. Chrysta Rands-Evans of Donora, Pennsylvania, took the 500 m on both days it was raced and added a 1000 m win. She began on inline skates. She switched to the ice after a move to Salt Lake City.
Kimi Goetz took the 1500 m and a 1000 m. Piper Yde, who grew up near the Milwaukee oval, took both mass starts. For the men, Casey Dawson took the 5000 m by over 11 seconds, and Ethan Cepuran was second four times. Stolz is on the team as well, but his first race is in Japan.
US winners at the qualifier
Wins at the Milwaukee qualifier, skaters on the US fall World Cup team
Skater
Wins
Jordan Stolz
500 m, 1000 m, 1500 m, mass start
Chrysta Rands-Evans
500 m twice, 1000 m
Kimi Goetz
1500 m, 1000 m
Piper Yde
Mass start twice
Casey Dawson
5000 m, mass start
Cooper McLeod
500 m
Kelin Dunfee
10000 m
Who to watch
Few skaters have beaten Femke Kok of the Netherlands over 500 m or 1000 m, and the Olympic champion is in Beijing. Ragne Wiklund of Norway is one to follow in the 1500 m and 3000 m. The 500 m is run two times at each World Cup stop, so the sprinters get two chances.
Among the men, the crowd will be behind two Chinese skaters. Ning Zhongyan won the Olympic 1500 m in February, and Gao Tingyu was the 500 m champion on this oval at the Beijing Games. Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, who still has the fastest 1500 m ever skated, turned 37 a few days before the meet.
A rink record in danger
The men's 5000 m could bring a new Ice Ribbon record. The mark is 6:08.84, set by Nils van der Poel of Sweden when he won Olympic gold here. Sander Eitrem of Norway has since taken the world record down to 5:58.52, close to 10 seconds faster, and he won the Olympic 5000 m in February.
New this season
The mass start has a new format. Skaters are knocked out as the laps go by, much like an elimination race in track cycling, until six are left to sprint for the line. Countries are also putting more work into the team sprint, which joins the Olympic program at the 2030 Winter Games in France.
How to watch in the US
Every race streams live in the US on Peacock and on the ISU YouTube channel. Our how to watch guide lists each World Cup stop after Beijing, up to the World Championships on February 25 to 28.
