Ragne Wiklund 1st Norwegian woman in 88 years to win all-round world speed skating crown

Norway celebrated a golden double on Sunday as Sander Eitrem surged past American defending champion Jordan Stolz to ‌win the men's all-round title, while Ragne Wiklund became the first Norwegian woman in 88 years to capture the women's crown at the speed skating world championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands.

The finale closed four days of high-intensity skating inside a packed Thialf arena, where Dutch sprint ​triumphs from Jenning de Boo and Femke Kok on Friday had ​set a feverish backdrop for the all-round showdowns.

The all-round championship, one of speed skating's most prestigious prizes, tests skaters across a punishing sequence of sprint and endurance distances: ​500 metres, 3,000, 1,500 and 5,000 for women, and 500, 5,000, 1,500 and 10,000 ⁠for men.

In the men's field, Stolz had carried the overall ‌lead into the final day after winning the 500 and delivering a resilient 5,000 on Saturday, even as Eitrem shattered the Thialf track record over the longer distance. But the 21-year-old American's advantage evaporated over the final two distances on Sunday.

Eitrem, the Olympic 5,000 champion and ⁠world record holder, was second-fastest behind Stolz in the 1,500 before unleashing a devastating 10,000. Skating with Stolz in the final pair, Eitrem's superior endurance eventually saw him lap Stolz — a rare moment for ‌the Olympic 500 and 1,000m champion.

Stolz, who had also contested all four sprint races earlier in the week, ran out of gas. Visibly exhausted, he fought to the finish but slipped to fourth overall.

Eitrem crossed the line with his arms spread wide, his coach erupting in celebration ​as the arena roared.

Czech teenager and Olympic 10,000 gold medallist Metodej Jilek claimed silver, while Poland's