Maybritt Vigl pointed it out. © APA/afp / DANIEL MUNOZ

Despite early exit: Vigl shines at the World Cup

The World Speed ​​Skating Championships took place at the famous Thialf Stadium in Heerenveen at the beginning of March. The sprint all-around competition was held from March 5th to 6th, followed by the all-around competition on March 7th and 8th. The Dutch speed skating arena is known for its great atmosphere and many enthusiastic fans.

March 09, 2026

From: pm

Also competing in the sprint all-around was 21-year-old Maybritt Vigl (Carabinieri) from South Tyrol, for whom this was her first regular World Championship. Vigl delivered solid performances on the first day of racing. She finished 20th in the 500 meters with a time of 38,92 seconds. She then achieved 17th place in the 1000 meters with a time of 1:17.66 minutes.

The Italian team suffered a setback even before the first day of competition. Their strongest 500-meter sprinter, Serena Pergher, had to withdraw due to injury before the World Championships even began. On the second day, Maybritt Vigl also had to end her participation due to illness and was unable to compete in the final two races. Despite her early exit, the South Tyrolean athlete was satisfied with her performance: "I'm completely satisfied – it went very well. Especially considering the short preparation time, I was more than happy with the results. Of course, I would have loved to compete on the second day as well, but I'm ill, and health absolutely comes first. Logically, I would have liked to have a World Championship final ranking, but when your body isn't feeling well, that's just how it is."

Femke Kok dominates

The titles in the sprint all-around went to the host nation, the Netherlands. Femke Kok dominated the women's competition, winning all four events and setting a new track record of 36,67 seconds in the 500 meters. Suzanne Schulting (NED) and Marrit Fledderus (NED) finished second and third, respectively. In the men's event, another Dutchman, Jenning De Boo, took the title. He won three of the four races and also set a new track record of 33,78 seconds in the 500 meters. Jordan Stolz (USA) finished second, and Zhongyan Ning (CHN) took third place.

From an Italian perspective, Daniele Di Stefano finished 16th in the sprint all-around. Following the sprint all-around, the World Championships continued at the Thialf Stadium with the all-around all-around. This took place from March 7th to 8th and included distances from 500 meters to 10.000 meters.

Lollobrigida was also there.

From an Italian perspective, two-time Olympic champion Francesca Lollobrigida finished sixth in the all-around competition. Her strongest event was the 5000 meters, where she achieved third place. Riccardo Lorello also achieved a good result in the men's competition, finishing sixth overall.

The all-around titles went to Norway. Ragne Wiklund (NOR) won the women's event, making history: for the first time in 88 years, a Norwegian woman has won the all-around world championship title. Marijke Groenewoud (NED) finished second, and Miho Takagi (JPN) took third. In the men's event, Sander Eitrem (NOR) emerged victorious, also setting a new track record in the 5000 meters. Metodej Jilek (CZE) and Vladimir Semirunniy (POL) finished behind him, securing the remaining podium positions.

A special moment at the World Championships was the farewell of two great names in speed skating: Miho Takagi (JPN) and Martina Sablikova (CZE) ended their successful careers after this competition. Both won multiple Olympic medals during their careers and are among the most successful speed skaters of their generation.