Olympics 2026 Speed Skating Betting Preview: Odds, Predictions, & Best Bets

Men’s 5000m Odds and Prediction

Norway’s Sander Eitrem and Czechia’s Metodej Jílek are expected to go head-to-head for men’s 5000m gold. This is a grueling long-distance race that rewards stamina, and Eitrem and Jílek stand clearly above the rest of the field.

Team Norway is projected to win the most gold medals at Milano 2026, and Eitrem is in a strong position to add to that total. The 23-year-old enters the Games on the heels of a world-record performance in Germany.

The first man under 6 minutes in the 5000m 👉 SANDER EITREM 🇳🇴 🧯🔥 #SpeedSkating pic.twitter.com/kYMIBO7EAy

— ISU Speed Skating (@ISU_Speed) January 24, 2026

An all-around talent, Eitrem has found his best results in the 5000m and already etched his name into the history books. At the Speed Skating World Cup in Inzell, he became the first skater ever to break the six-minute barrier at 5000m, stopping the clock at 5:58.52 in a stunning performance.

He finished well ahead of silver medalist Metodej Jílek, who posted a time of 6:01.98. It was an incredible feat for the Norwegian and a clear sign he’s approaching the Olympics in peak form. Eitrem also captured the 5000m title and the all-around crown at the 2025 ISU World Championships.

I projected Eitrem as a -175 favorite to win gold, so the current -110 price offers strong value for your 2026 Olympic speed skating betting picks.

Men’s 500m Odds and Prediction

Stolz is the odds-on favorite to win the men’s 500m race, but this is actually his weakest distance. His implied probability to win is 60%, compared to 90.9% in the 1500m and 87.5% in the 1000m.

That opens the door for Team Poland’s Damian Zurek to make this a real contest. The 500m is Zurek’s best event, and he’s recently started to show his full potential.

In late January, Zurek defeated Stolz to capture his first World Cup gold medal. He stopped the clock in 34.09 seconds, beating Stolz by 0.17 seconds in an impressive performance. While Stolz still claimed the 500m World Cup Trophy for the season, Zurek’s current form suggests this Olympic race could be much tighter than the odds imply.

Damian Żurek 🇵🇱 lowers his own 500m track record in Inzell ➡️ a perfect win before the Olympics! #SpeedSkating pic.twitter.com/jHwraKEJt7

— ISU Speed Skating (@ISU_Speed) January 25, 2026

Over such a short distance, there is zero margin for error. A slow start or minor slip can decide everything. Stolz didn’t make any obvious mistakes in his loss to Zurek but admitted he still has room to improve in the 500m.

It’s possible he focuses more of his preparation on the longer 1000m and 1500m events, where he is expected to dominate.

In a mild upset scenario, Zurek has a realistic chance to be right there at the finish line.

At +185, there’s legitimate value in backing him as one of the best 2026 Olympics speed skating bets in the men’s 500m.

Women’s 1000m Odds and Prediction

All eyes will be on Team Netherlands’ Jutta Leerdam as she chases her first Olympic gold medal at Milano 2026. The Dutch star came up just short at Beijing 2022, taking silver in the women’s 1000m, but everything she’s done since then points to a different outcome this time.

Over the last four years, Leerdam has only gotten stronger. She’s captured multiple World Championship titles and rose to No. 1 in the world rankings at 1000m. The 27‑year‑old enters the Games in peak form, with four wins in her last five ISU World Cup races.

Her dominance has been especially clear in Europe. Leerdam has completely controlled the 1000m at the ISU European Championships, winning six straight titles from 2020 through 2025. Most recently, she took first place in Inzell in her final race before the Winter Games, reinforcing that she’s the skater to beat.

DIALLED IN! Jutta Leerdam grabs her second 1000m win of the season! 💥🫡 pic.twitter.com/5ZpTUCzoBY

— Jutta Leerdam (@juttaleerdam73) January 31, 2026

Japan’s Miho Takagi is talented enough to pounce if anything goes wrong for Leerdam, but barring a mishap, the Dutch standout looks ready for the biggest assignment of her career.

At odds of -250, the seven-time world champion is a justifiable favorite and worth backing to win the women’s 1000m speed skating gold medal.