2026 Olympic Women's 3000m Speed Skating Preview & Prediction
Updated July 9, 2026
The Olympic women’s 3000m speed skating event at the 2026 Milano Cortina Games is set to be the first speed skating medal event of 2026. Scheduled for February 7 at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, this long-distance race is set to be wide open with Irene Schouten having retired. Before the action begins in this long-distance speed skating event, you can find my prediction in this event where every skater comes in at plus money to win.
Below are the latest winner odds for the women’s 3000m event in speed skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics:
A handful of storylines will be important as this race unfolds. First is the absence of Irene Schouten. The 2022 Olympic champion retiring from competition leaves a vacuum at the top of women’s long-distance speed skating. That opens the door for a new champion to emerge on the biggest stage in this sport.
Ragne Wiklund has been the most consistent distance performer this season. She has topped the long-distance standings on the World Cup circuit, including a World Cup 5 win in the 3000m with a sub-3:55 finish and a European title earlier in January, making her a logical frontrunner. Joy Beune of the Netherlands is the reigning world champion and has also been a model of consistency, finishing on the podium in every long-distance race this season. Those two skaters will be expected to finish first and second, barring a big surprise on the Italian ice.
Marijke Groenewoud is also a dangerous contender. Dutch long-distance talent is a given at this point, and Groenewoud has shown the ability to challenge in key races this season. Her experience and tactical strength make her a viable value pick for those seeking longer odds. Canadian skater Valerie Maltais and Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida bring veteran experience to the field, though bettors have priced them as longshots due to a lack of recent dominance from them in world competition.
Here’s a closer look at the primary contenders who look poised to battle for medals:
Pick: Ragne Wiklund (NOR) to win gold ATS PRO
Confidence: 4 out of 5
Wiklund’s campaign this season has been the most complete of any long-distance female speed skater competing at Milan. Her ability to combine speed with strong endurance positions her as the most reliable gold medal contender in the 3000m. World Cup results show she can dominate against strong fields, and her European championship performance showed that she can outperform the army of Dutch skaters that she has to contend with. While Beune’s world title status and podium consistency ensure she will be in the hunt to the finish, Wiklund’s recent skating makes her my top choice to come away with the gold here.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
Affiliate Disclosure
ATS.io uses affiliate links. If you sign up through a link on this page, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Rankings are based on hands-on testing and published criteria, and affiliate relationships do not determine placement.
