During the ongoing Olympic qualifying tournament, Dutch athletes Ireen Wüst and Erben Wennemars discussed the decision to hold two 500-meter races for women, a format differing from the single 500-meter event at the Olympic Games.
NOS, the Netherlands
The Olympic qualifying tournament (OKT) has been underway for several days, with the women’s 500 meters scheduled for Sunday. Both the men and women will race twice over this distance, which prompted a debate between Wüst and Wennemars regarding the necessity and fairness of the two-race format. Wennemars, a former top speed skater, described the decision taken in the Netherlands to have two 500-meter races as “total nonsense,” noting that only one 500-meter race is held during the Olympic Games. He argued that providing two chances creates a different competition setup from the actual Olympic event.
Wennemars also remarked that the two-race format may benefit certain skaters, specifically mentioning Jutta Leerdam, who fell during the 1000-meter event earlier in the week and has yet to qualify for the Olympics. He suggested that this approach offers her an additional opportunity to demonstrate her physical condition, which he considers positive under the circumstances.
Wüst responded by partially disagreeing with Wennemars, emphasizing that on the 500-meter distance, skating from the inside or outside lane last can significantly affect performance. She argued that having two races is the fairest method to account for this variable. However, Wennemars objected to the rule that only the fastest individual time from the two races determines qualification, rather than an average of both times. Despite the disagreement, Wüst maintained her view that the format serves to heighten competitive tension, regardless of whether one or two races are held.
