The Dutch women’s speed skating team secured the silver medal in the Olympic team pursuit after a close final against Canada in Milan. Joy Beune, Marijke Groenewoud, and Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong finished just behind the reigning Olympic champions, marking an improvement from their bronze medal at the 2022 Winter Games.
According to NOS, the Canadian team featuring Ivanie Blondin, Valérie Maltais, and Isabelle Weidemann maintained their position as Olympic titleholders by finishing nearly a second ahead of the Dutch team. Despite a strong start and leading for over half the race, the Dutch skaters faced minor slips that allowed the Canadians to pull away in the final laps.
The Netherlands, world champions in the event last year, had a challenging path to the final. Their semi-final against Japan was narrowly won by just 0.11 seconds after a tense finish. Japan ultimately claimed the bronze medal. The Dutch team showed consistency throughout, with Beune, Groenewoud, and Rijpma-de Jong participating in all rounds, supported by reserve skater Bente Kerkhoff.
Historically, the Dutch women’s team has had success in the Olympic team pursuit, winning gold in 2014 and silver in 2018, with bronze medals at previous Games, including 2022. This latest silver represents the 13th medal for the Netherlands at the current Winter Olympics in Italy. The men’s team pursuit has been less successful, with the men placing fourth at this edition of the Games. Overall, the event demonstrated strong competition among the leading nations, with Canada continuing to assert dominance in the discipline.
