Femke Kok secured a decisive victory in the 500 meters at the Olympic qualifying tournament, setting a new track record at Thialf and strengthening her position for the Winter Olympics.
According to NOS, the Netherlands, Kok delivered a strong performance by clocking a time of 36.87 seconds in the first round, surpassing her previous track record at Thialf. She had already secured Olympic participation in two distances after winning the 1,000 meters on Friday.
World champion Kok, who bypassed the second round, finished well ahead of Jutta Leerdam, who claimed second place. Leerdam’s result marked a recovery after a fall during the 1,000 meters earlier in the tournament and improves her chances for an Olympic spot. Her first-round time of 37.24 seconds was not improved in the second round, but her second-place finish is significant for her qualification prospects. She may also still earn the opportunity to compete in the 1,000 meters if her 500 meters result meets the qualifying criteria.
Anna Boersma secured third place after a challenging start in the first round where she stumbled but managed to post a fast time of 37.27 seconds in the second round. Although she appears on the qualification matrix, her participation in the Olympics is not yet confirmed. Not all strong competitors advanced; for example, Suzanne Schulting, who qualified in the 1,000 meters, did not secure a place on the 500 meters, and Isabel Grevelt, despite a promising first run, missed out on Olympic qualification.
Kok entered the tournament as the favorite for the 500 meters, having remained undefeated in World Cup events on this distance over the last two seasons. She holds three world championship titles and the world record. Kok expressed that qualifying in the 1,000 meters eased some of the pressure, allowing her to perform freely on the 500 meters track.
On Monday, Kok plans to compete in the 1,500 meters, an event where she recently set a new track record during training. Meanwhile, Leerdam is working to overcome setbacks from earlier competition days, with plans for further races to secure her place among the nine skaters allowed to participate at the Olympics.
