Norwegian sprinter Bjørn Magnussen has signed with Dutch professional team Essent after breaking the 34-second barrier in the 500 meters for the first time in his career at the ISU World Cup opener in Salt Lake City.
Magnussen clocked 33.99 seconds on November 15, 2025, finishing fifth in the race won by American Jordan Stolz in 33.88 seconds. The performance placed him among seven skaters under 34 seconds that weekend, a group that collectively broke the barrier 46 times across the two 500-meter races in Utah.
His Salt Lake City outing also included a personal best of 1:07.97 in the 1000 meters, marking the first time he dipped below 1:08 in that distance. Magnussen emphasized in a team statement that while he valued his time with Norway’s national squad, the move to Essent offered a chance to grow in a novel environment with different coaching and training partners.
Magnussen cites development as key motivation for team switch
The 24-year-old Norwegian said joining Essent represented a deliberate step toward further progression, noting he had always trained effectively within the national setup but sought fresh challenges. He did not disclose financial terms of the contract or its duration.
Essent, a Dutch-based professional speed skating team, has increasingly recruited international talent in recent seasons, aiming to strengthen its sprint depth ahead of the Olympic qualification cycle. The team did not comment on how Magnussen fits into its current roster structure or racing schedule.
Sub-34 second performances surge in Salt Lake City weekend
The Utah Olympic Oval’s quick ice facilitated a historic surge in elite 500-meter times, with six different skaters breaking 34 seconds for the first time in their careers during the World Cup opener. Prior to the event, only nine skaters had ever achieved the feat; by Sunday, that number had risen to fifteen.
Magnussen’s 33.99 was the fifth-fastest time on the first day, behind Stolz (33.88), Poland’s Damian Zurek (33.90), China’s Gao Tingyu (33.93) and Japan’s Wataru Morishige (33.94). On the second day, Jenning de Boo of the Netherlands won in 33.63, just five-hundredths shy of Pavel Kulizhnikov’s world record, with seven men in total dipping under 34 seconds.
Why did Magnussen leave the Norwegian national team setup?
He stated he wanted to train with new people and in a new environment to support him continue growing as an athlete, while affirming he had always trained well with the national squad.
What were Magnussen’s times in Salt Lake City?
He skated 33.99 seconds in the first 500-meter race and 1:07.97 in the 1000 meters, both personal bests and career-first sub-threshold performances.