Ragne Wiklund has won the European championship on the 3,000-meter speed skating event, setting a new track record in Tomaszów, Poland.
NOS, a Dutch news outlet, reported on the event.
The 25-year-old Norwegian skater completed the race in 4:00.54, breaking the previous track record by more than two seconds. This victory adds to Wiklund’s achievements this season, including a world championship title on the 3,000 meters earlier in 2023. Competing in the absence of several top Dutch Olympic athletes, Wiklund had been considered one of the leading contenders coming into the competition.
Wiklund started the race aggressively and maintained a strong pace throughout, although she faced some difficulty in the final lap. Despite this, she managed to secure the fastest time. Silver went to Belgian speed skater Sandrine Tas, who finished with a time of 4:05.26. The bronze medal was won by Sanne in ‘t Hof from the Netherlands, who clocked her personal best international performance with a time of 4:05.91.
In ‘t Hof, who recently missed qualifying for the Olympic Games, skated a consistent race and limited her lap time decline well. However, despite other competitors posting faster times in later heats, her performance earned her the first international medal of her career. Two other Dutch skaters also participated: Gioya Lancee and Evelien Vijn, finishing seventh and eighth respectively with times of 4:13.28 and 4:12.83.
The Dutch women’s team sprint event did not yield medals, as an early fall by Isabel Grevelt prevented the team from finishing. Their opponents from Poland won the gold medal, followed by Belgium with silver and Germany with bronze. Only four countries fielded teams in this discipline at the European Championships.
The competition saw fewer Dutch Olympic athletes participating, with many opting for training camps over the European Championships. Anna Boersma was the sole Dutch sprinter competing and is also scheduled to participate in the 500-meter and 1,000-meter events later in the weekend. The women’s 3,000-meter race is set for Friday evening, with Wiklund and Italy’s Francesca Lollobrigida regarded as the primary favorites due to the absence of reigning champion Marijke Groenewoud.
