Joy Beune secured third place in the 5000-meter race during the World Cup event held at Thialf in Heerenveen, finishing behind Norway’s Ragne Wiklund and Canada’s Isabelle Weidemann.
The 26-year-old Dutch speed skater completed the race in 6 minutes 51.83 seconds, trailing Wiklund who took first place with a time of 6 minutes 49.01 seconds. Isabelle Weidemann earned the silver medal with a finish time of 6 minutes 50.11 seconds. Beune competed in the final heat against Canadian Valérie Maltais, gaining an early lead but unable to maintain her pace throughout the race.
Beune remarked that it was a challenging race but expressed satisfaction at having completed her first 5000-meter race of the season, especially after missing the distance at the Dutch National Championships due to illness. She noted, “I tried to skate well and kept my lap times consistent towards the end, which I am pleased with.” Beune also appreciated not having to wait until the Olympic qualification tournament to race this distance.
In the same competition, Belgian skater Sandrine Tas finished fourth with a time of 6 minutes 52.24 seconds, just behind Beune. Other Dutch competitors included Irene Schouten who finished fifth with 6 minutes 53.30 seconds, and Evelien Vijn also participated but did not place in the top rankings. Sanne in ’t Hof won the B-group race earlier in the day, emerging victorious with an impressive time of 6 minutes 47.65 seconds, faster than some skaters in the A-group. The B-group race was conducted with a quartet start format.
The World Cup event in Heerenveen continues to showcase competitive performances across various distances as skaters prepare for upcoming international tournaments.
Source: De Telegraaf, Netherlands
