Several Dutch Olympic speed skaters are hoping to secure direct selection for the upcoming World Allround and Sprint Championships in Heerenveen next week, aiming to bypass the national championships scheduled for this weekend due to fatigue from the Winter Games.
Source: NOS, Netherlands.
Many athletes who competed at the Winter Olympics are carrying considerable fatigue and are seeking to be granted automatic qualification for the World Championships, which run from March 5 to 8. The Dutch skating federation (KNSB) can allocate several direct entry spots for both men and women for each tournament. If, for example, two skaters receive direct entry, only one spot will remain available to earn at the national championships, since the maximum number of skaters per gender that the Netherlands can send is three.
Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong, who won Olympic gold in the 1500 meters in Milan, stated during the Olympic honoree event in The Hague that she believes she deserves direct selection based on her achievements. Meanwhile, Joy Beune has already confirmed she will not compete at the national championships, focusing on defending her World Allround title instead. Beune cited physical exhaustion following a demanding period as the reason for skipping the nationals.
Newly crowned Olympic mass start champion Marijke Groenewoud also expressed hope for a direct selection spot but remains open to competing in the national championships if no clear decision is made. Groenewoud acknowledged that she currently does not feel fully ready to perform at a high level this weekend due to recent commitments.
Kjeld Nuis voiced significant criticism about the scheduling of the Dutch championships, highlighting how challenging it is for Olympic athletes to compete shortly after the Winter Games and then again in both national and world championships within such a tight timeframe.
