Femke Kok continues to dominate the 500 meter distance in speed skating, but this season she has also seen notable achievements on longer distances, including setting a track record on the 1500 meter and securing an Olympic qualifying spot.
Schaatsen.nl, a Dutch skating news outlet, reports on Kok’s expanding success beyond her specialty of the 500 meter.
For the past three years, Femke Kok has been nearly unbeatable on the 500 meter, holding the world record since November. However, this winter, the 25-year-old skater from the Netherlands has also attained impressive results over other distances. In early October, during a training competition, she unexpectedly set a new track record in the 1500 meter. While the conditions were excellent, few anticipated the world 500 meter champion to excel on this longer distance. After not competing in the 1500 meter for about two and a half months, Kok secured a start position for the Olympic 1500 meter event at the end of December.
Additionally, Kok has made progress on the 1000 meter distance. Although a former junior allround world champion, she had not consistently delivered strong performances at crucial qualification moments on this distance. Last season she achieved her first international success by winning a silver medal at the World Championships. This year, her improvements have continued. Kok won the Dutch Distance Championships, the Olympic Qualification Tournament, and a World Cup event on the 1000 meter. Notably, she is the only skater to have finished on the podium at all five World Cup events so far this season.
Reflecting on her performances, Kok expressed optimism due to the steady improvements and personal best times she has achieved this winter. She stated that although the 1000 meter distance is not yet completely mastered, recent results offer encouragement for further progress.
