Italian speed skater Davide Ghiotto recorded the fastest 10,000m in history by four seconds, but it will not count as a world record.
Ghiotto, 30, clocked 12 minutes, 26.30 seconds in Inzell, Germany, on Saturday.
That was faster than Swede Nils van der Poel’s world record of 12:30.74 set in winning the 2022 Olympic title.
But Ghiotto’s time will not count officially because of the absence of International Skating Union judges and drug testers at the lower-level competition, according to the Italian Ice Sports Federation. The World Cup season does not start until next month.
Ghiotto is the 2022 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time reigning world champion in the 10,000m, the longest event in Olympic speed skating.
He started out in roller skating, switched to the ice when he was 19 and has been known to talk to his skates before races.
He is one of the biggest home nation stars going into the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Ghiotto is from Vicenza, which is 115 miles east of Milan.
Both of Italy’s all-time Olympic gold medals in speed skating came at a home Games: Enrico Fabris in the 1500m and the men’s team pursuit at the 2006 Torino Games.
Van der Poel retired at age 25 after sweeping the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2022 Olympics.
Arianna Fontana, who owns an Italian record 11 Winter Olympic medals in short track, is adding long track speedskating.