Speed skating-Stolz takes charge of all-round world championship as Wiklund, Takagi share women's lead

HEERENVEEN, Netherlands, March 7 : Jordan Stolz seized control of the men's all-round competition at the Speed Skating World Championships on Saturday, while Ragne Wiklund and Miho Takagi set the early pace in the women's field as the battle for one of the sport's most prestigious titles gathered pace.

A day after Jenning de Boo and Femke Kok sent the iconic Thialf arena into raptures by sweeping the sprint crowns for the Netherlands, attention shifted to the all-round specialists.

The all-round championship - a demanding sequence of 500 meters, 3,000m, 1,500m and 5,000m for women, and 500m, 5,000m, 1,500m and 10,000m for men - rewards a blend of explosive speed and deep endurance.

Stolz, the newly crowned Olympic 500m and 1,000m champion, quickly reset after sprint performances that had felt underwhelming by his own lofty standards.

Having taken silver behind rival De Boo - who is skipping the all-round event - the 21-year-old defending champion reasserted himself with a flawless 34.22 seconds in the 500m to take the early lead.

His return for the 5,000m delivered a truer measure of his stamina. Stolz posted six minutes 19.66 seconds - enough to preserve his overall lead even as world record holder and Olympic champion Sander Eitrem demolished the track record to take the distance.

In the women's competition, Japan's Takagi - the country's most decorated Winter Olympian with 10 medals - opened the final chapter of her illustrious career by winning the 500m in 37.75 seconds, setting the tone for a fitting farewell.

Wiklund, 25, then produced one of the day's standout performances, powering to three minutes 56.83 seconds in the 3,000m. The victory, following her fifth place in the 500m, pulled her level with the 31-year-old