Marrit Schulting expressed satisfaction with her performance during the world speed skating tournament, highlighting her smooth 500-meter race and overall readiness following recent national competitions.
Schaatsen.nl, Netherlands
Schulting opened the tournament with a strong 500-meter race, noting the positive atmosphere as she was introduced with accolades for being a three-time world champion, world record holder, and Olympic champion. She described feeling proud and motivated by the recognition. Her 500-meter run was smooth, better than she had anticipated, and she aimed to showcase her abilities, hoping to achieve a time close to her Olympic personal best of 36.49 seconds.
She remarked on her good start (10.19 seconds) and the fact that she exercised caution in the last inner bend, unlike at the Milan Olympics where she took more risks. Schulting emphasized the importance of maintaining sharpness throughout the tournament to avoid mistakes, demonstrating confidence in her physical and mental readiness following a demanding national championship where she performed multiple races.
Following her races, Schulting expressed enthusiasm about her performance, particularly the 37.30 seconds in the 500 meters, stating it was among her hardest races over that distance. She also felt pleased with her 1000-meter performance and described skating well and with ease, reinforcing her positive mindset going into the remainder of the championship.
Fellow skater Marrit Fledderus also shared her thoughts, acknowledging room for improvement in her 1000-meter race where she felt she skated technically sloppily and rushed. Despite this, Fledderus was hopeful to maintain third place and appreciated the opportunity to compete internationally again, viewing this as a form of personal redemption. She posted times of 37.50 and 1:15.16, finishing fourth in both event rounds.
