World Cup distancesAntoinette de Jong won the world title in the 3000m race behind closed doors in Thilaf. The 25-year-old Jumbo-Visma skater finished the eighth stage in a time of 3.58.47 minutes.
Defending champion Martina Sablikova was then a split second to secure her seventh world title at this distance. The 33-year-old Czech finished 3.58.57.
Dutch champion Irene Schotten won the World Cup bronze in the last race against Russian Natalia Voronina: 3.59.75. Joy Pyeon finished sixth with a time of 4.02.21.
For De Jong, this was her first singles world title. She previously won gold in the World Cup twice in Team Quest. The Frisian won her second European title last month in a row.
Voronina, the title candidate, set a 3000-meter (3.56.85) World Cup record nearly two weeks ago. Then the air pressure and with it the air resistance was much lower in Heerenveen. The 26-year-old Russian has now collapsed in the last race against Schouten in the final stage and thus has not gone past seventh place (4.02.85).
Olympic champion Carlin Achterekt and European champion Ismy Weser disappeared from the stadium. They could not qualify at this distance for the World Cup at the end of December.
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