The Dutch Olympic team pursuit squad will compete in Tuesday’s half-final against Italy without Marcel Bosker in the starting lineup, as coach Rintje Ritsma has decided to include Jorrit Bergsma instead.
This information was reported by De Telegraaf, a Dutch news outlet.
In an important decision made on Monday afternoon, head coach Rintje Ritsma announced that Marcel Bosker will not start in the upcoming Olympic team pursuit semi-final race against the host nation Italy. Instead, Jorrit Bergsma, who previously won a bronze medal in the 10,000 meters earlier in these Winter Games, will take Bosker’s place. The Dutch team hopes this change will improve their endurance capabilities in this demanding discipline.
The change comes amid a sensitive background where Bosker had earlier been granted a spot at the Winter Olympics despite not qualifying in the usual manner. This decision, which displaced Tim Prins who finished third in the 1500 meters, was met with some controversy and emotional reactions from both athletes involved. Coach Ritsma emphasized that Bosker is still a valued team member and may be reinstated for the medal rounds depending on the circumstances of the semi-final.
Ritsma explained that the choice to include Bergsma is motivated by the need for “Ausdauer,” or endurance, to challenge Italy and attempt to close the significant time gap observed during Sunday’s qualification race. The Dutch team’s coach noted that all teams’ speeds were slower than expected relative to earlier individual events and that the Olympic record anticipated did not materialize. This suggests a tougher competition ahead.
Should the Netherlands win against Italy, they will proceed directly to the final within the hour. However, if they lose, their next challenge will be a match against either the United States or China, who compete in the other semi-final. Ritsma also mentioned the strategy to possibly conserve energy for a later bronze medal race if the gap becomes too large to overcome during the semi-final.
Meanwhile, the Dutch women’s pursuit team, set to face Japan in their half-final, will maintain their current lineup. Comprising Joy Beune, Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong, and Marijke Groenewoud—the reigning world champions for two years—the team aims to secure the gold medal for the Netherlands. Coach Ritsma acknowledged noticeable tension in the women’s qualification race and expressed hope that the team has overcome their Olympic nerves.
