The Dutch speed skating team narrowly missed out on a medal in the Olympic team pursuit event, finishing fourth after a close race against China in Milan.
NOS, a Dutch news outlet, reported on the competition and surrounding controversy.
The team, consisting of Stijn van de Bunt, Chris Huizinga, and Jorrit Bergsma, lost the bronze medal race to China by a margin of only 0.09 seconds. Marcel Bosker, who had been selected specifically for the team pursuit, did not compete on the final day. Italy won the gold medal by defeating the favored United States in the final.
Earlier in the day, the Dutch team was relegated to the bronze medal race after losing the semifinals to Italy by 1.79 seconds. Italy was the home nation and ultimately secured the Olympic title. In the battle for third place, the Netherlands faced China, who had conserved energy during their semifinal against the United States by not exerting their full effort. This strategy appeared effective, as the Dutch team trailed throughout the race and came close to overtaking only in the last lap.
The Dutch team qualified for the semifinals with the fourth-best time on the previous day, behind China, the United States, and Italy. However, times from the qualification round did not affect the direct elimination races in the semifinals and finals, which were determined solely by beating the paired opponent.
The absence of a medal marked a disappointing end to the Winter Games for the Netherlands, who also faced internal challenges before the competition. After the Olympic qualification tournament, Marcel Bosker was selected for the team pursuit at the expense of Tim Prins, a decision that drew significant criticism of the Royal Dutch Skating Federation (KNSB). Head coach Rintje Ritsma even received death threats online. The situation became more complicated in Milan when Van de Bunt expressed confusion over the unclear decision-making regarding which skater would be dropped before the quarterfinals.
Coach Ritsma stated that he would decide on the lineup after the 10,000 meter race based on the athletes’ fitness. Contrary to expectations, Bergsma—who won bronze in the 10,000 meters—was replaced in the quarterfinal lineup by Bosker, a decision criticized by Bergsma’s coach Jillert Anema. Despite this, Bergsma competed in the semifinals and was retained for the bronze match, while Bosker only participated once during the event and left the venue after the semifinals.
The Dutch men have had limited success in the Olympic team pursuit since its introduction in 2006. They reached the final only once before, winning gold in 2014, and earned bronze medals in 2006, 2010, and 2018. However, assembling the best combination of skaters willing to fully commit to the team event has been an ongoing challenge. Since the 2022 Games, the team has rarely competed with a stable lineup, and this inconsistency continued to affect their performance in Milan.
