The ISU Speed Skating World Cup is a series of international speed skating competitions, organised annually by the International Skating Union since the winter of 1985–86. Every year during the winter season, a number of competitions on different distances and on different locations are held. Skaters can earn points at each competition, and the skater who has the most points on a given distance at the end of the series is the winner. Initially not very popular with skaters nor spectators, the World Cup has gradually become more and more popular, and this was due to the creation of the World Single Distance Championships. The results of the separate distances in the World Cup ranking are the main qualifying method for the World Single Distance Championships.
The number of races per season per distance varies, but it is usually between five and ten. Ten World Cup titles are awarded every season, five for men (the 500 m, the 1000 m, the 1500 m, the combined 5000 m / 10000 m, and the team pursuit), and five for women (the 500 m, the 1000 m, the 1500 m, the combined 3000 m / 5000 m, and the team pursuit).
The team pursuit was added to the World Cup in the 2005–06 season. Between the seasons 2003–04 and 2008–09, the 100 m was also contested for men and women, but this category is now defunct.
The mass start was re-introduced for both women and men in the World Cup in Astana in 2011.
Overall World Cup winners Men Season100 m500 m1000 m1500 m5000 / 10000 mTeam pursuitTeam sprintMass start1985–86 Dan Jansen Dan Jansen Michael Hadschieff Dave Silk 1986–87 Nick Thometz Nick Thometz Hans Magnusson Geir Karlstad1987–88 Dan Jansen Uwe-Jens Mey André Hoffmann Tomas Gustafson1988–89 Uwe-Jens Mey Uwe-Jens Mey Eric Flaim Michael Hadschieff (2) Gerard Kemkers1989–90 Uwe-Jens Mey Uwe-Jens Mey (3) Johann Olav Koss Bart Veldkamp1990–91 Uwe-Jens Mey (3) Igor Zhelezovski Johann Olav Koss (2) Johann Olav Koss1991–92 Dan Jansen Igor Zhelezovski Falko Zandstra Geir Karlstad (2)1992–93 Dan Jansen Igor Zhelezovski (3) Rintje Ritsma Bart Veldkamp1993–94 Dan Jansen (5) Dan Jansen (2) Falko Zandstra (2) Johann Olav Koss (2)1994–95 Hiroyasu Shimizu Yukinori Miyabe Neal Marshall Rintje Ritsma1995–96 Manabu Horii Ådne Søndrål Hiroyuki Noake Rintje Ritsma1996–97 Hiroyasu Shimizu Manabu Horii Rintje Ritsma (2) Rintje Ritsma (3)1997–98 Jeremy Wotherspoon Jeremy Wotherspoon Ids Postma Gianni Romme1998–99 Jeremy Wotherspoon Jeremy Wotherspoon Ådne Søndrål Bart Veldkamp (3)1999–2000 Jeremy Wotherspoon Jeremy Wotherspoon Ådne Søndrål Gianni Romme2000–01 Hiroyasu Shimizu (3) Jeremy Wotherspoon Aleksandr Kibalko Gianni Romme2001–02 Jeremy Wotherspoon Jeremy Wotherspoon (5) Ådne Søndrål (3) Gianni Romme (4)2002–03 Jeremy Wotherspoon Erben Wennemars Yevgeny Lalenkov Carl Verheijen2003–04 Yu Fengtong Jeremy Wotherspoon Erben Wennemars Mark Tuitert Bob de Jong 2004–05 Yu Fengtong (2) Jeremy Wotherspoon Erben Wennemars Mark Tuitert (2) Øystein Grødum Italy2005–06 Yūya Oikawa Lee Kang-seok Shani Davis Chad Hedrick Chad Hedrick Canada2006–07 Yūya Oikawa Tucker Fredricks Erben Wennemars (4) Erben Wennemars Sven Kramer Netherlands2007–08 Lee Kang-seok Jeremy Wotherspoon (8) Shani Davis Shani Davis Håvard Bøkko Netherlands2008–09 Yūya Oikawa (3) Yu Fengtong Shani Davis Shani Davis Sven Kramer Canada (2)2009–10 Tucker Fredricks (2) Shani Davis Shani Davis Håvard Bøkko (2) Norway2010–11 Lee Kang-seok (2) Stefan Groothuis Shani Davis (4) Bob de Jong Norway2011–12 Mo Tae-bum Shani Davis Håvard Bøkko Bob de Jong (3) Netherlands Alexis Contin2012–13 Jan Smeekens Kjeld Nuis Zbigniew Bródka Jorrit Bergsma Netherlands Arjan Stroetinga2013–14 Ronald Mulder Shani Davis (6) Koen Verweij Jorrit Bergsma Netherlands Bob de Vries2014–15 Pavel Kulizhnikov Pavel Kulizhnikov Denny Morrison Jorrit Bergsma South Korea Lee Seung-hoon2015–16 Pavel Kulizhnikov Kjeld Nuis Denis Yuskov Sven Kramer (3) Netherlands Netherlands Arjan Stroetinga (2)2016–17 Dai Dai N'tab Kjeld Nuis Kjeld Nuis Jorrit Bergsma (4) Netherlands (7) Canada Lee Seung-hoon (2)2017–18 Håvard Holmefjord Lorentzen Kjeld Nuis Denis Yuskov Ted-Jan Bloemen Norway Norway Bart Swings2018–19 Pavel Kulizhnikov (3) Kjeld Nuis (5) Denis Yuskov (3) Aleksandr Rumyantsev Norway Netherlands Um Cheon-ho2019–20 Tatsuya Shinhama Thomas Krol Kjeld Nuis Patrick Roest Russia Netherlands Bart Swings2020–21 Dai Dai N'tab (2) Kai Verbij Thomas Krol Patrick Roest (2) Norway (5) Bart Swings2021–22 Laurent Dubreuil Thomas Krol (2) Joey Mantia Nils van der Poel United States China Bart Swings2022–23 Laurent Dubreuil (2) Hein Otterspeer Kjeld Nuis (3) Beau Snellink United States Netherlands (4) Bart Swings (5)2023–24 Wataru Morishige Ning Zhongyan Ning Zhongyan Davide Ghiotto United States United States Andrea Giovannini2024–25 Jordan Stolz Jordan Stolz Jordan Stolz Sander Eitrem United States United States Andrea Giovannini (2)2025–26 Jordan Stolz (2) Jordan Stolz (2) Jordan Stolz (2) Metoděj Jílek United States (5) United States (3) Jorrit Bergsma Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Women
Season100 m500 m1000 m1500 m3000 / 5000 mTeam pursuitTeam sprintMass start1985–86 Christa Rothenburger Karin Kania Annette Carlén-Karlsson Andrea Ehrig 1986–87 Bonnie Blair Bonnie Blair Yvonne van Gennip Yvonne van Gennip1987–88 Christa Rothenburger Christa Rothenburger Bonnie Blair Gabi Zange1988–89 Christa Luding-Rothenburger (3) Angela Hauck-Stahnke Constanze Moser Heike Schalling1989–90 Bonnie Blair Angela Stahnke Seiko Hashimoto Jacqueline Börner Gunda Kleemann1990–91 Kyoko Shimazaki Monique Garbrecht Gunda Kleemann Heike Warnicke (2)1991–92 Bonnie Blair Bonnie Blair Gunda Niemann Gunda Niemann1992–93 Ye Qiaobo Bonnie Blair Gunda Niemann Gunda Niemann1993–94 Bonnie Blair Bonnie Blair Emese Hunyady Gunda Niemann1994–95 Bonnie Blair (5) Bonnie Blair (5) Gunda Niemann Gunda Niemann1995–96 Svetlana Zhurova Chris Witty Gunda Niemann Gunda Niemann1996–97 Xue Ruihong Franziska Schenk Gunda Niemann Tonny de Jong1997–98 Catriona Le May Doan Catriona Le May Doan Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann1998–99 Catriona Le May Doan Monique Garbrecht Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann1999–2000 Monique Garbrecht Monique Garbrecht Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann (9) Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann2000–01 Catriona Le May Doan Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt Anni Friesinger Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann (9)2001–02 Catriona Le May Doan (4) Sabine Völker Anni Friesinger Anni Friesinger2002–03 Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt (2) Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt (5) Cindy Klassen Claudia Pechstein2003–04 Shihomi Shinya Wang Manli Jennifer Rodriguez Anni Friesinger (3) Claudia Pechstein2004–05 Sayuri Osuga Wang Manli (2) Chiara Simionato Cindy Klassen Claudia Pechstein (3) Japan2005–06 Jenny Wolf Jenny Wolf Anni Friesinger Cindy Klassen (3) Cindy Klassen Germany2006–07 Jenny Wolf Jenny Wolf Chiara Simionato (2) Ireen Wüst Martina Sáblíková Netherlands2007–08 Jenny Wolf Jenny Wolf Anni Friesinger (2) Kristina Groves Martina Sáblíková Canada2008–09 Jenny Wolf (4) Jenny Wolf Christine Nesbitt Kristina Groves Martina Sáblíková Czech Republic2009–10 Jenny Wolf Christine Nesbitt Kristina Groves (3) Martina Sáblíková Canada2010–11 Jenny Wolf (6) Heather Richardson Christine Nesbitt Martina Sáblíková Netherlands2011–12 Yu Jing Christine Nesbitt (3) Christine Nesbitt (2) Martina Sáblíková Canada Mariska Huisman2012–13 Lee Sang-hwa Heather Richardson Marrit Leenstra Martina Sáblíková Netherlands Kim Bo-reum2013–14 Olga Fatkulina Heather Richardson Ireen Wüst Martina Sáblíková Netherlands Francesca Lollobrigida2014–15 Nao Kodaira Brittany Bowe Marrit Leenstra (2) Martina Sáblíková Netherlands Ivanie Blondin2015–16 Heather Richardson-Bergsma Brittany Bowe Brittany Bowe Martina Sáblíková Japan China Irene Schouten2016–17 Nao Kodaira Heather Bergsma (4) Heather Bergsma Martina Sáblíková Japan Japan Kim Bo-reum2017–18 Vanessa Herzog Yekaterina Shikhova Miho Takagi Antoinette de Jong Japan Russia Francesca Lollobrigida2018–19 Vanessa Herzog (2) Brittany Bowe Brittany Bowe Martina Sáblíková Japan Russia (2) Kim Bo-reum (3)2019–20 Nao Kodaira (3) Brittany Bowe Ireen Wüst (3) Martina Sáblíková (13) Canada Netherlands Ivanie Blondin2020–21 Femke Kok Brittany Bowe Brittany Bowe (3) Irene Schouten Canada Irene Schouten (2)2021–22 Erin Jackson Brittany Bowe (6) Miho Takagi Irene Schouten (2) Canada Poland Francesca Lollobrigida (3)2022–23 Kim Min-sun Miho Takagi Miho Takagi Ragne Wiklund Canada United States Ivanie Blondin (3)2023–24 Erin Jackson Miho Takagi Miho Takagi Ragne Wiklund Japan (6) Netherlands Valérie Maltais2024–25 Erin Jackson (3) Miho Takagi (3) Miho Takagi Ragne Wiklund Netherlands (6) Poland (2) Marijke Groenewoud2025–26 Femke Kok (2) Femke Kok Miho Takagi (6) Ragne Wiklund (4) Canada (8) Netherlands (3) Mia Manganello Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Mixed
SeasonMixed Relay2024–25 Canada2025–26 Germany Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Most World Cup victories The skaters with the highest number of individual World Cup victories as of 25 December 2025. Active skaters in bold.
Men Pos Athlete 100 m 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 5000 m 10000 m Mass start Total wins 1 Jeremy Wotherspoon 49 18 67 2 Shani Davis 40 18 58 3 Uwe-Jens Mey 36 12 48 4 Jordan Stolz 15 16 15 1 47 5 Dan Jansen 32 14 46 6 Sven Kramer 3 34 5 42 7 Pavel Kulizhnikov 24 12 36 8 Hiroyasu Shimizu 1 34 35 9 Ådne Søndrål 1 11 18 30 Igor Zhelezovski 4 24 2 30 Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
Women Pos Athlete 100 m 500 m 1000 m 1500 m 3000 m 5000 m Mass start Total wins 1 Gunda Niemann-Stirnemann 2 39 42 15 98 2 Bonnie Blair 39 27 3 69 3 Jenny Wolf 12 49 61 4 Anni Friesinger 19 26 10 1 56 5 Martina Sáblíková 1 35 14 2 52 6 Miho Takagi 13 24 1 38 7 Lee Sang-hwa 1 36 37 8 Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt 17 19 36 Ireen Wüst 4 26 6 36 10 Nao Kodaira 28 6 34 Catriona Le May Doan 1 27 6 34 Heather Richardson Bergsma 6 21 7 34 Source: SpeedSkatingStats.com
All-time medal count Update after 2025–26 ISU Speed Skating World Cup result.
See also ISU Junior World Cup Speed Skating Cup Ranking - Country Medal Table World Speed Skating Championships
References