Both International Skating Union events have previously been held separately but will occur under one roof from tomorrow.

The allround event crowns a men's and women's champion based on results over four different distances, with a points system deciding the winners.

Men race over 500 metres, 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m and the women tackle 500m, 1,500m, 3,000m and 5,000m.

In the sprint events, champions are decided after two races over 500m and two over 1,000m.

Speed skating powerhouse The Netherlands are expected to be strong again at the Hamar Vikingskipet venue which was used during the Lillehammer 1994 Winter Olympics.

Patrick Roest will hope for a third consecutive men's allround title after his successes in Calgary last year and in Amsterdam in 2018.

The double Olympic medallist was below his best at the World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships in Salt Lake City a fortnight ago, however, where he only claimed bronze in his favoured 10,000m.

In the 5,000m he was disqualified after forgetting to wear the white armband to indicate his inner-lane start.

Roest was then replaced by compatriot Marcel Bosker in the Dutch team pursuit squad, which won gold with a world record time.

His challengers for his title will include team-mate Sven Kramer, a nine-time world allround champion and four-time Olympic champion.

Kramer has not been competing at the peak of his powers but should not be counted out.

Norwegian pair Håvard Bøkko and Sverre Lunde Pedersen will also look to stake a claim in front of their own fans.

In the women's allround, Martina Sáblíková of the Czech Republic will defend her title and renew her rivalry with Dutchwoman Ireen Wüst.

Sáblíková has won the title five times while Wüst has claimed it on six occasions, with the pair boasting eight Olympic gold medals between them.

Japan's Miho Takagi scooped gold in 2018, however, and will be looking to crash the party again, while Antoinette de Jong is the reigning Dutch allround champion.

In the men's sprint, Pavel Kulizhnikov is the clear favourite to defend his title and win it for the fourth time in all.

He won both the 500m and 1,000m golds at the World Single Distances in Salt Lake City and broke the world record in the longer event.

Fellow Russians Ruslan Murashov and Viktor Mushtakov could be Kulizhnikov's biggest challengers after strong showings when the favourite was injured at the start of the season.

Former world champions Kai Verbij of The Netherlands and Håvard Lorentzen of Norway will also look to challenge again but neither have reached the standards of Kulizhnikov in recent weeks.

Kjeld Nuis, the Olympic champion over 1,000m and 1,500m, is another to have entered but the Dutchman was too fell behind the Russian in Salt Lake City.

Japan's Nao Kodaira is the favourite to defend the women's sprint title and claim a third crown in all.

The 500m Olympic gold medallist faces competition from Dutch pair Jorien ter Mors, the 2018 champion, and Jutta Leerdam, the 1,000m winner in Salt Lake City.

Kodaira's team-mate Miho Takagi is also a threat after finishing as the runner-up last year.