Norwegian speed skater Sander Eitrem made history by breaking the men’s 5000m world record at the ISU Speed Skating World Cup held in Inzell, Germany. Eitrem completed the race in a remarkable time of five minutes and 58.52 seconds, becoming the first athlete to achieve this feat in under six minutes. The previous record of 6:00.23 was set by French skater Timothy Loubineaud in Salt Lake City, USA, in November.
After crossing the finish line at the Max Aicher Arena, the 23-year-old Eitrem appeared stunned by his accomplishment. He threw his goggles in the air in celebration before placing his hands on his head in disbelief. Expressing his emotions, Eitrem told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that he was still speechless and that achieving this milestone was a childhood dream come true.
In the competition, Loubineaud finished over five seconds behind Eitrem, securing the third position. Czech skater Metoděj Jílek claimed the second spot with a time of 6:01.98, ultimately winning the overall standings. Meanwhile, American Jordan Stolz continued his impressive performance by winning the final 1000m race and topping the overall standings after triumphing in all five races. Stolz also holds a significant lead in the 500m standings going into the final race on Sunday.
Canada’s Ted-Jan Bloemen finished at the bottom of the 5000m event with a time of 6:25.172, more than 26 seconds behind Eitrem’s record-breaking performance. The upcoming Milano-Cortina Winter Games will feature speed skating events from February 7 to 21.