Joy Beune has urged people to stop sending hateful messages to her partner, Kjeld Nuis, following the KNSB’s selection decision for the Olympic Games.
NOS, a Dutch news outlet, reports on the situation and reactions.
The 26-year-old speed skater expressed her concern on Instagram about the severity of the hateful responses directed at Nuis. She said, “You do not have to agree with someone, but wishing someone pain or death crosses a line.” The backlash followed the KNSB’s decision allowing Nuis to compete in both the 1,000 and 1,500 meters events. This decision came after Tim Prins was excluded from the team despite finishing third in the 1,500 meters qualifying event.
At 36, Nuis narrowly missed a top-three finish in the 1,500 meters during the Olympic qualification tournament, a distance on which he has previously won two Olympic gold medals. Prins, his teammate, secured third place and appeared well positioned for the Games. However, the KNSB exercised a discretionary selection spot to add Marcel Bosker to the team, which resulted in Prins losing his opportunity to compete. Nuis commented on the news saying, “Unbelievable. It is indescribably bitter,” responding to Prins’s disappointment.
Because Prins was removed from the roster, an additional start spot in the 1,500 meters became available, which Nuis will now fill as the fourth-ranked competitor in that event. He had already qualified for the Olympics in the 1,000 meters, a spot he earned narrowly ahead of Prins by only 0.005 seconds.
Beune emphasized the impact of hostile words, stating, “The hateful messages Kjeld receives are intense and painful to read. Words are not just words. Behind this account is a person, with feelings and people who love him.” She concluded her message by expressing pride in how Nuis continues on his own path.
Tim Prins also addressed the matter on social media, acknowledging his disappointment and perceiving the KNSB’s decision as unfair to him. Still, he stressed the importance of respectful communication on social platforms, remarking, “We should behave decently with each other. These are athletes and people.” Kjeld Nuis also showed support for Beune after she missed out on qualification for the 1,500 meters event during the Olympic Trials.
