Speed skater Hendrik Dombek made a convincing start to the Sprint and All-Around World Championships in Inzell. The 26-year-old from Munich is in seventh place at the halfway point of the sprint rankings after two successful performances. The medals will be awarded on Friday when the 500 and 1000 meters take place again.
Dombek initially took eighth place over 500 m and came ninth over twice the distance. In the lead is the Canadian Laurent Dubreuil, who has still had unfinished business with the Sprint World Championships since 2022. He also led after the first day in Hamar, Norway, but then had to retire because of a positive Covid test.
In the women’s category, Anna Ostlender (Inzell) took 14th place as the best German. The local hero achieved a personal best in the 500 m in 38.44 seconds. The Japanese Miho Takagi secured the lead ahead of Femke Kok from the Netherlands.
The World Cup concludes with the All-Around World Championships on Saturday and Sunday. The men’s four-way competition takes place over 500, 5,000, 1,500 and 10,000 meters. Then child prodigy Jordan Stolz (19) also goes on the ice. The six-time world champion from the USA skips the sprint disciplines to win all-around gold for the first time.