After a demanding evening of competition, Dutch speed skater Jenning de Boo shared his thoughts on his recent races and his growing rivalry with American Jordan Stolz.
Schaatsen.nl, a Dutch skating news outlet, provides the original report.
On Thursday night around 10:30 PM, De Boo spoke to the press while his body was still energized by adrenaline and caffeine he had just consumed. Anticipating a restless night, he acknowledged that he rarely sleeps well between competitions and expected tonight to be no exception.
De Boo reflected on his recent performances, starting with his 500-meter race where he reclaimed the track record from Jordan Stolz despite not having a flawless run. He also discussed his performance in the kilometer event, where he overtook Joep Wennemars and closed the gap with Stolz in the final lap. He noted the significant improvement in his finishing speed, a feat he had never achieved before, contrasting it with the Winter Olympics, where Stolz had gained a full second on him in the last lap.
At the World Cup event in Milan, De Boo finished with two silver medals, again behind Stolz. Although he respected Stolz’s strong performances and considered it no shame to come second, he admitted growing frustration with consistently being the runner-up. He remarked that while they clearly stood out compared to other competitors, second place no longer satisfied him, especially as he progressively closed in on Stolz’s times and started to perceive his rival as beatable.
De Boo recalled how three years ago, when he was just emerging on the international stage, he viewed Stolz as unbeatable—Stolz had already posted times much faster than De Boo and was a three-time world champion. Over time, though, regular competition and closer results have made Stolz seem more approachable and human in De Boo’s mind, motivating him to continue improving and challenging the top spot.
