Last week in Heerenveen, Dutch speed skaters won nine of the 12 gold medals on offer over the final two days of competition.

Femke Kok won two of those gold medals in the women's 500 metres and looks set to wrap up the title in the second set of races this weekend.

Russians Angelina Golikova and Olga Fatkulina, as well as Canada's Heather McLean, are all in prime contention to finish on the overall podium in the distance.

Her compatriot Dai Dai Ntab was another winner in the men's 500m and sits top of the World Cup standings, but will face tough competition from Russia's Artem Arefyev, who won the second race last week over the distance.

Thomas Krol won the only 1,000m race last week ahead of his Dutch compatriot Kai Verbij, who both have the best chance of winning the overall title with the second race this weekend.

Krol is also the favourite in the men's 1,500m ahead of team-mates Patrick Roest and Kjeld Nuis. 

In this event, The Netherlands had five skaters in the top five and will expect a similar dominance this weekend.

The United States' Brittany Bowe holds a similar stranglehold over the women's 1,000m and 1,500m who held off a contingent of Dutch skaters in both events and is now the person to beat.

Jorien Ter Mors and Kok could be her closest challengers in the 1,000m, while Ireen Wüst and Antoinette de Jong were her biggest threats in the 1,500m.

Arjan Stroetinga and Irene Schouten will also hope to remain top of the mass start World Cup standings on home soil.

The ISU Speed Skating World Cup is scheduled to take place from tomorrow until Sunday (January 31).