More than 400 athletes from 47 nations will compete for World Championship titles as Speed Skating takes centre stage at ASU26, with reigning World Champions, international medallists and host-nation athletes ready to race in Asunción.

The Speed World Championships arrive in Paraguay

The World Skate Games ASU26 are underway in Paraguay, bringing together the world’s roller sports community for an edition that will see athletes compete across multiple disciplines from 2 to 18 October.

For Speed Skating, the action begins on 10 October, when the Speed World Championships get underway in Asunción.

A total of 406 athletes representing 47 nations are expected to compete across the Junior and Senior categories, with World Championship titles at stake on the Track, Road Circuit and Marathon.

From Track to Road and Marathon

The Speed programme will open with three days of Track competition from 10 to 12 October at the Comité Olímpico Paraguayo (COP).

The opening day will feature the 5,000m Points and 200m Dual Time Trial. On 11 October, athletes will compete in the 500m+D Sprint and 10,000m Elimination, before the Track programme concludes on 12 October with the 1,000m Sprint and Relay.

After a rest day and Road Circuit training, the competition moves to Asunción’s Downtown District. The Junior One Lap and 10,000m Points will be contested on 14 October, followed on 15 October by the Senior One Lap and 15,000m Elimination.

The 100m Sprint will also take place in the Downtown District on 17 October, before the Speed World Championships conclude with the Marathon on 18 October.

Check the detail in the dedicated bulletin here: Bulletin n.3

The Marathon: an open race bringing even more skaters to ASU26

The Speed programme will close on 18 October with the Marathon, bringing the World Championship competition and the World Skate Marathon Tour together on the streets of Asunción’s Downtown District.

The event will welcome national teams, registered World Skate Marathon Tour teams and individual athletes. Masters and Amateur skaters will also have the opportunity to participate, keeping the inclusive spirit of the Tour at the heart of the event.

This open format will bring hundreds of additional athletes from around the world to Asunción, adding another dimension to the final day of the Speed programme and bringing elite competitors, experienced Masters and Amateur skaters together on the same course.

The Marathon will therefore not only decide the World Champions, but also bring the wider international skating community together for the final race of the Speed World Championships at ASU26.

A field featuring World Champions and international medallists

The ASU26 starting lists include a number of athletes who arrive in Paraguay with major results from the 2025 season, including reigning World Champions and World Championship medallists.

Among the leading names in the sprint events is India’s Anandkumar Velkumar, the reigning Senior Men’s 1,000m World Champion. Spain’s Jhoan Sebastian Guzman will also be one to watch after a standout 2025 season that included five gold medals at The World Games in Chengdu.

Colombia will once again field a strong group across sprint and endurance events, including Juan Jacobo Mantilla and Gabriela Rueda. Mantilla took two Senior World Championship titles in 2025, while Rueda also returns as a World Champion.

The international field also includes athletes such as Italy’s Duccio Marsili and Vincenzo Maiorca, Ecuador’s Nicolas Garcia and other established names from the world Speed Skating scene.

A special edition for the host nation

The home crowd will have its own athletes to support, with Paraguay represented by four skaters: Julio Cesar Mirena Ortiz, Eduardo Zarate, Sofia Galeano Ortiz and Valeria Gavilán.

Among them, Ortiz arrives in Asunción after a highly successful 2025 season. At the World Championships in Beidaihe, China, he won silver in the Senior Men’s 10,000m Points and bronze in the 1,000m Sprint. Now Ortiz will race for Paraguay on home soil, adding a special dimension to an already significant World Championship campaign.

Watch live: worldskate.tv

Results: Speed Results

Bulletin: Speed Informations