Kjeld Nuis described his recent race as the best of his career, despite narrowly missing out on the Olympic gold medal to Zhongyan Ning of China.
Schaatsen.nl, a Dutch skating news outlet, reports on Nuis’s performance and reflections.
About half an hour after finishing his race, Nuis recounted the experience with enthusiasm, highlighting the speed at which the event unfolded. He noted the surprisingly fast lap times displayed by his competitor Ning, which initially caught him off guard. Nuis admitted that his rapid start led to difficulties in maintaining control through a bend, resulting in a loss of momentum that allowed Ning to catch up.
Despite this, Nuis praised Ning’s performance, calling it “phenomenal” and acknowledging the Chinese skater’s exceptional execution during a critical crossover. Ning ultimately finished eight-tenths of a second ahead, securing the Olympic title following an off day from American Jordan Stolz.
Although Nuis briefly believed he might surpass Stolz for the first time this season, he endured significant physical strain in the last 200 meters. He described the pain as intense and acknowledged that he might have misjudged his positioning in the final moments, which could have impacted his medal placement. Nevertheless, Nuis expressed satisfaction with his overall achievement, emphasizing pride in concluding his Olympic career with such a remarkable performance.
