Thialf Record Races 2020: Season closure with 27 WRs

Two days after the ISU World Cup Final in Thialf Heerenveen, the participants in the 1st Masters International Thialf Record Races could taken advantage of very fast ice. During two days more than 27 official masters world records, 224 season best times and 102 personal records were improved during this international masters tournament. This shows that Thialf can compete with the Olympic Oval in Calgary. Two weeks ago in Calgary during the Masters Sprint Games also 27 official masters world records were broken.

The Thialf Record Races is a new format “designed” by the Dutch Masters association MCLN and for the first time organized as an international master competition of the IMSSC. The format consist of four allround competitions and a sprint competition over two days, combined with single distances on the 3K, 5K and 10K. Because this competition is part of the international calendar of the IMSSC masters world records could be improved.

Similar to the Olympic Oval Finals in Calgary, the Thialf Record Races offers the same opportunity for senior and junior speedskaters. So Thialf Heerenveen is able to compete with Calgary talking about improving international masters speedskating records.

In addition to the large number of (world) record improvements, the 5.000 m and 10.000 m results of 51-year-old Martin Hänggi (photo) from Switzerland were impressive. With 6:50,91 and 14:04,98 he broke the records in the age category M50 of Theron Sands from the USA and the Dutchman Arjan Bakker.

Also impressive was the 10.000 m by the Eva Riemersma-van Rheenen (L35) of the Netherlands. With her time of 16:37,05 she is the fastest lady worldwide this season on the 10K. Riemersma also improved the world record at 5.000 m. And also Dutchman Kees Verdouw (M75) impressed by improving four world records, most of them were held by Norwegian Arne Kjell Foldvik. Foldvik on his turn assured that the 5K and 10K and the points record of the big Allround came on his name in his age category M85. He won already all other world records in his age category earlier this season.

But they were not the only ones that broke world records. In total, even 27 official masters world records were improved in Heerenveen, see the overview below.

On our website https://www.schaatscircuit.nl/trr2020/ you can find all final rankings per age group and all results per race incl. lap times. Also you can find the document with all the broken World Records.