Melissa Wijfje has announced her retirement from professional speed skating, sharing an emotional message on Instagram.
NOS Schaatsen, a Dutch news outlet, reported on Wijfje’s decision and reflections on her career.
Wijfje, 30, who was once among the top speed skaters in the Netherlands, shared that she is ending her skating career with mixed feelings. She described the decision as painful, saying: “It is done. With pain in my heart and tears in my eyes.” In 2020, she won the Dutch national title in the 1,500 meters, and she frequently competed as part of the Dutch pursuit team that secured two European championships.
In recent years, her performance declined partly due to a persistent injury to her lower leg, which sidelined her for some time. Despite this, she still managed to achieve a third-place finish in the recent Dutch allround championships. Wijfje expressed the difficulty of letting go of a sport she dedicated many years to, stating, “How do you stop your life’s work? How do you leave behind something you have trained for so many years and sacrificed so much for?” She conceded that she was unable to fulfill some of her biggest goals and dreams.
Despite the challenges, Wijfje said that it feels like the right moment to move on, and she is now looking forward to exploring new opportunities. In an interview with the radio program Langs de Lijn, she revealed that she is considering several paths, including further education through the Johan Cruyff Academy, an institution that supports athletes in combining sports with academic pursuits.
