Marrit Fledderus has spoken about the emotional impact of her double false start at the Olympic qualification tournament, which ended her chances of securing a spot on the team.
Schaatsen.nl, published in the Netherlands, reports on Fledderus’s experience during the recent Olympic qualification event.
On New Year’s Day, Marrit Fledderus shared her feelings following the disappointment she faced at the Olympic qualification tournament. Though the initial shock had subsided, she still felt significant pain and disappointment. She has received support from her parents and the extensive number of messages sent by fans after her double false start on the 500-meter race, which helped alleviate some of her pain.
The qualification event began on December 26 with the women’s 1000 meters, where Fledderus focused on her race. However, shortly after the race started, a fall by competitor Jutta Leerdam caused the event to be temporarily stopped. Maintaining her concentration proved challenging, particularly when the musical rhythm accompanying the races was disrupted. Fledderus finished in tenth place, about a second slower than her previous performance in early November. Despite this, she remained positive and refocused on her favored 500 meters event.
In her first 500 meters run, Fledderus achieved her best opening ever but made a critical mistake in the final curve, resulting in a time of 37.56 seconds. To qualify for the Olympic team, she needed to improve her time by three tenths of a second. Although uncertain whether she could meet this target, she identified areas for improvement.
Her second attempt at the 500 meters was unfortunately cut short by a disqualification due to two false starts. Initially hesitant to review the footage, Fledderus later watched to understand her performance better. She noted how challenging it is to remain still in the starting position for an extended period, describing it as difficult to maintain balance and posture under such pressure.
