From 17 to 39-year-old: these Dutch skaters are certain of the World Championship distances

This article was last updated on February 19, 2025

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From 17 to 39-year-old: these Dutch skaters are certain of the World Championship distances

He was already 21 when she still had to be born. Skaters Jorrit Bergsma (39 years old) and Angel Daleman (17) could have become the oldest and youngest Dutch champion ever last weekend.

Gold was not in it for both, but they qualified for the National Championships in the Norwegian Hamar (13-16 March) at the National Championships. Bergsma rides the five and ten kilometers at the age of eleven, Debutant Daleman qualified in the 500 meters.

Three debutants

In addition to Daleman, Joep Wennemars (1,000 meters) and Merel Conijn (3 and 5 kilometers) are also going to the World Championship distances for the first time.

Kjeld Nuis (1,000m and 1,500m) is there for the twelfth time and is approaching Bob de Jong, the Dutchman who participated most often (13 times). Breaking Claudia Pechstein’s record is difficult. She is at 21 participations.

It is not yet known which skaters the team pursuit, mass start and team sprint run at the World Cup. That selection is made by national coach Rintje Ritsma. According to the KNSB regulations, he must draw on the team sprint from the skaters who have also placed themselves individually.

That is not a condition on the Massastart, that paves the way for Bart Hoolwerf. He did not qualify for the World Cup at the traditional distances, but has been the most important Dutch asset on the massart for a few years.

‘Three times gold is not nothing’

Hoolwerf became Dutch champion in the section with which Marijke Groenewoud put a crown on her weekend. She won the first three NK titles of her career and also won the marathon in Utrecht in the meantime on Saturday evening.

“Femke Kok Reed A very nice track record (in the 500 meters, ed.), But three times gold is not nothing, “concludes Groenewoud sober in the NOS skating podcast.

Tuitert about the Dutch opportunities at the World Cup

For the World Championship distances, NOS analyst Mark Tuitert sees that the Dutch women look good at all distances. “In addition to Kok and Groenewoud, Merel Conijn also drives very fast and Joy Beune can win at several distances. There we really have a chance of five gold medals. For the men it is a completely different story.”

“Chris Huizinga can rise above himself, but with Davide Ghiotto on the ten kilometers and Sander Eitrem on the five kilometers I don’t just write the Dutch for gold. That is pretty crazy to say. On the shorter distances that is not the case.

“If I have to put my money on a Dutchman, the chance is still greatest for Jenning de Boo on the 500 meters. The level on the 1,000 meters is very high in width, but beating Stolz becomes really difficult.”

Groenewoud was not yet busy with a very special season. She missed the European Championship all -round and did not win world cup medals on the 1,500 and 3,000 meters.

“I had a cold and had problems with my throat. The last two world cups were really very bad, I even became twentieth (last) in the 1,500 meters, then people don’t expect you to perform very well here. Only this week Klack I really got my energy back. “

Three tournaments in four weekends

Groenewoud is fit again exactly on time. The season started a bit slowly because only two world cups were driven before the New Year, but the last part of the season will be completed in the next four weekends.

The penultimate world cup is in Tomaszów, Poland, a week later is the last of six world cups in Thialf. After a week of rest, the world championships will follow.