At the Olympic qualification tournament in Heerenveen, Joy Beune, the reigning world champion in the 1500 meters speed skating, missed out on securing a spot at the upcoming Winter Olympics, finishing fourth in her event.
NOS, the Dutch public broadcaster, reports on the outcomes of the women’s 1500 meters race during the qualification event held in the Netherlands.
Beune, who had previously won three World Cup races this season in the 1500 meters and was considered a frontrunner, recorded a time of 1:53.22 but was hampered early in her race by a significant error. This mistake ultimately cost her a place among the top three required for Olympic qualification. Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong emerged as the winner with a time of 1:53.02, narrowly edging out Femke Kok by just 0.01 seconds. Kok’s second-place finish earned her a third Olympic start ticket. Marijke Groenewoud finished third in 1:53.05 and had already secured her place in the Olympics for the 3000 meters event in Milan.
The competition highlighted a strong contest between specialists in the 1500 meter distance and sprinters aiming to claim an additional Olympic berth. Kok, despite having skated the 1500 meters only three times since 2021, had unexpectedly set a track record of 1:52.69 prior to the event. Jutta Leerdam, another notable sprinter, attempted to challenge the experienced field but was unable to maintain her pace after a strong first 1000 meters and did not achieve a leading time.
The clash notably included Beune and Groenewoud in one of the early heats, where Beune’s early error occurred though she still managed to finish faster than some competitors. However, the later heat featuring Rijpma-de Jong and Kok resulted in both surpassing Beune’s time, sealing Beune’s spot outside the qualification places for the 1500 meters. With all three women from the Dutch pursuit team now qualified for the Olympics, this outcome provides clarity for coach Rintje Ritsma as the team prepares for the Games.
