Jenning de Boo and Femke Kok continued to demonstrate peak form at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships, setting new track records at Thialf and leading the standings shortly after their Olympic performances.
NOS Schaatsen reports from the Netherlands on their achievements.
On Thursday evening, both skaters recorded the fastest times ever on Thialf’s 500 meters track. Jenning de Boo posted a time of 33.78 seconds, underlining his strong condition that appears even better than during the Olympics. Remarkably, he noted the contradiction of achieving such form so soon after the demanding Olympic schedule, calling it “actually quite strange” but expressing his enjoyment of the moment. Having already set personal records during training sessions earlier in the week, De Boo’s confidence in his abilities ahead of the competition proved justified.
De Boo, who previously earned two silver medals at the Milan World Championships, also displayed impressive speed on the 1,000 meters, narrowly missing the track record. As a 22-year-old athlete from Groningen, his continued improvement signals a significant presence in the sprint skating discipline this season.
Femke Kok, who joined De Boo in setting a new 500 meters track record at Thialf, shared insights about her motivation. Despite initial doubts about maintaining her drive after a successful Olympic campaign — where she won gold on the 500 meters and silver on the 1,000 meters — Kok found encouragement from the enthusiastic public and the recognition as Olympic champion. The 25-year-old from Friesland emphasized her determination to perform well at the World Championships, stating that she was not competing without purpose.
Her performance on the same evening confirmed her status as the leading sprinter, winning the 1,000 meters with over a one-second margin ahead of Suzanne Schulting. Kok described the day as a strong start but remained cautious, acknowledging the unpredictability of sprint tournaments and the need to stay mentally sharp for the remaining distances.
Both athletes face ongoing challenges, with De Boo focusing on maintaining his form to hold off competitors like Jordan Stolz, who is expected to perform strongly, especially in the 1,000 meters. De Boo acknowledged the title still being up for grabs and the importance of preserving his competitive edge during the remaining events on Friday.
