Marijke Groenewoud successfully defended her national title at the Daikin Dutch Marathon Skating Championships in Thialf, while Daan Gelling won the men’s race after a demanding contest.
According to NOS, Groenewoud completed one hundred laps and dominated the final sprint against competitors Kim Talsma and Lianne van Loon. Having recently secured four Olympic start positions at the Olympic qualification tournament, Groenewoud was determined to compete at the national marathon championships. She expressed her motivation by saying she wanted to be part of the event since there was a title to be won.
Groenewoud acknowledged the challenges she faced due to fatigue from the qualification event. Her teammate Maaike Verweij played a crucial role by joining breakaway groups to help control the pace and by actively disrupting escape attempts from rival skaters. Groenewoud credited Verweij’s efforts as a key factor in her victory. In the closing phase, their team exerted strong efforts to catch the remaining three leaders, setting the stage for a bunch sprint. Groenewoud executed an early and sustained sprint to secure the win, relying on her confidence and positioning.
The men’s race took a different form, becoming chaotic midway through as a series of attacks fragmented the field. Over half of the participants did not reach the finish line. A lead group of four riders emerged, including Gelling, Casper de Gier, Jordy Harink, and Mats Stoltenborg. Members of the chase group, including Jorrit Bergsma, intentionally allowed themselves to be lapped, providing the leading quartet with a lap advantage over the peloton.
In the final sprint among the front four, De Gier initially took the lead and appeared to have an advantage. However, Gelling reclaimed the lead after the last corner and crossed the finish line first. Gelling described his experience as “not normal” and highlighted his focus on marathon skating, expressing great satisfaction with the victory.
