Speed skating-Norway seal all-round world championship golden double

HEERENVEEN, Netherlands, March 8 : 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 ISU Speed Skating World Championships in Heerenveen.

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, 3,000m, 1,500m and 5,000m for women, and 500m, 5,000m, 1,500m and 10,000m for men.

DEVASTATING EITREM OVERHAULS STOLZ

In the men's field, Stolz had carried the overall lead into the final day after winning the 500m and delivering a resilient 5,000m 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 5,000m Olympic champion and world record holder, was second-fastest behind Stolz in the 1,500m before unleashing a devastating 10,000m. Skating with Stolz in the final pair of the 10,000m, Eitrem's superior endurance eventually saw him lap Stolz - a rare moment for the Olympic 500m 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