The European Speed Skating Championships continue this weekend with a smaller Dutch delegation, as most top athletes focus on preparations for the upcoming Winter Games in Milan.
NOS, a Dutch news outlet, reports on the distinct nature of this season’s European event amid Olympic preparations.
The European Championships, traditionally a secondary event during the speed skating season, have become even less prioritized this year. Only Anna Boersma, one of the eighteen Dutch Olympians qualified for Milan, traveled to Tomaszów in Poland to compete. Boersma, who earned her Olympic spot in the 500-meter event, regards the championships as a valuable part of her pre-Games routine, stating that her coach agrees with this approach.
In contrast, the majority of Dutch Olympic skaters are skipping the European Championships to focus on training camps. Teams such as Reggeborgh are training in southern Spain, while other groups including AH Zaanlander and Essent are preparing in Spain and the Italian Alps, respectively. These athletes plan to return to competition at the World Cup in Inzell, which serves as the final major event before the Olympics.
Boersma is organizing her season differently; she intends to skip the World Cup in Inzell in favor of team training leading into the Milan Games. At the European Championships, she is scheduled to compete in the team sprint and the 500-meter race.
Alongside Boersma, Tim Prins is a notable participant in the Dutch team. Prins narrowly missed qualification for the Olympics during the trials and was later excluded from the team in favor of Marcel Bosker, who was selected to strengthen the pursuit squad. The pursuit event at the Europeans will feature a new trio of Dutch skaters, Wisse Slendeboek, Louis Hollaar, and Kars Jansman, who have not competed together previously, with Slendeboek making his international senior debut.
The Dutch European Championship squad mainly consists of skaters who have not competed prominently at the international level this season. With prominent names such as Kjeld Nuis, Jutta Leerdam, and Femke Kok absent, these skaters have the opportunity to gain experience. Only Merijn Scheperkamp and Sanne in ‘t Hof among the Dutch European competitors have prior Olympic experience.
Several top international contenders are also absent from the Europeans, including Finn Sonnekalb, Metodej Jílek, Timothy Loubineaud, and Sander Eitrem, reflecting a wider trend of prioritizing Olympic preparation over this event.
The Polish team, hosting the event, has brought a complete squad, motivated not only by the presence of local supporters but also by financial incentives tied to the championships. Sprinter Kaja Ziomek-Nogal explained that government stipends depend on results at championships featuring individual distances, underscoring the event’s importance for their athletes.
With world champion and record holder Femke Kok absent, the competition for gold at the European Championships has opened up. Several athletes have expressed increased hopes of claiming the title in her absence, recognizing her current dominance in the sport.
