On February 14, 2026, the Dutch and international speed skating teams continued preparations and competed in key events at the Winter Olympics in Milan.
Schaatsen.nl, a Dutch skating news outlet, provided live updates and detailed coverage from the Olympic venue.
The day began with training sessions for the Dutch men’s team. Head coach Rintje Ritsma confirmed that Marcel Bosker, Chris Huizinga, and Stijn van de Bunt would start in the team pursuit quarterfinals. Their order aligned with recent World Cup performances, with Bosker leading, followed by Huizinga and Van de Bunt. Ritsma emphasized a strategic approach, prioritizing pace and freshness for upcoming rounds rather than individual rankings.
Meanwhile, Norwegian skater Sander Eitrem, who had won Olympic gold in the 5,000 meters earlier in the games, became ill and left the Olympic village to prevent infecting teammates. His withdrawal from the team pursuit preliminaries on Sunday cast uncertainty on Norway’s participation, although a possible return for the semifinals remains if he recovers quickly.
On the women’s side, TeamNL named Joy Beune, Marijke Groenewoud, and Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong as starters for their team pursuit quarterfinal, with Bente Kerkhoff and Merel Conijn as reserves. The Dutch coaching staff is focused on advancing through the rounds with optimal energy management to compete for medals.
The individual 500 meters event held significant attention, especially the anticipated rivalry between Dutch skater Jenning de Boo and American Jordan Stolz. Former skater Ben van der Burg predicted a close finish, with de Boo needing a remarkable final corner reminiscent of Sergey Fokichev’s legendary 1984 Olympic gold-winning curve.
The day’s schedule also included quarterfinals in women’s 1,000 meters and a 1,500 meters short track competition featuring Dutch skaters Jens van ’t Wout, Friso Emons, and Itzhak de Laat. The women’s relay semifinals featured competitors such as Suzanne Schulting and Zoë Deltrap.
Reflecting on the previous day, Jorrit Bergsma secured a bronze medal in the demanding 10,000 meters event, adding to TeamNL’s accomplishments and the atmosphere of determination in the arena.
