Despite the absence of several top athletes, many prominent Dutch speed skaters will compete for national titles this weekend.
Schaatsen.nl, a Dutch skating news outlet, reports on the upcoming championships that feature both men and women notable in the sport.
Among the women, Marijke Groenewoud, who has been the busiest of the Dutch Olympians, will participate in the tournament. She is scheduled to compete in the ninth heat of the three-kilometer event against her teammate Merel Conijn. Later, Elisabeth In ’t Hof and Melissa Wijfje will also take part.
In the men’s allround category, Jorrit Bergsma, well-known for his performance in the mass start event in Milan, is expected to be a crowd favorite this weekend. However, his chances of winning the title remain uncertain. He will start the competition with the 500-meter in the opening pairing alongside Mathijs van Zwieten and face Beau Snellink in the eighth heat of the five-kilometer race. Other serious contenders include Marcel Bosker and possibly Jasper Krommenhoek.
The sprint women’s competition is wide open due to the absence of Femke Kok and Jutta Leerdam. This leaves several strong candidates vying for the Dutch sprint title, including Isabel Grevelt, Suzanne Schulting, Anna Boersma, Angel Daleman, and Marrit Fledderus. Leerdam’s withdrawal from the upcoming World Sprint Championships in Thialf has created additional opportunities, as now two spots are available for the international competition.
On the men’s sprint side, predicting the successor to Jenning de Boo, who will also not compete, is equally challenging. Merijn Scheperkamp aims to make the most of his last races competing for Essent. Tim Prins is looking forward to a lively and enthusiastic audience at Thialf, while Sebas Diniz hopes for a notable performance. Kai Verbij may also contend for a surprise result. These races will ultimately decide the final spot on the Dutch team for the World Sprint Championships.
All the race pairings and start lists are available for fans and participants.
