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Kai Verbij wins 500 meters, Bergsma gold at 5000 meters | To skate

Verbij was the fastest for the second time with 34.70 in the second 500 meters. He also rode the two best times of the day. Behind Verbij, Merijn Scheperkamp rode in the second 500 meters to the second time with 34.82. The 21-year-old Jumbo-Visma skater was disqualified in the first 500 meters after a second false start, but recovered strongly by skating below his recently set personal best of 34.91.

Dai Dai N’tab rode to 34.92 in the second 500 meters after a mediocre first race. The four-time Dutch champion in the 500 meters lost his title, but Otterspeer was just ahead in the standings with that time. The 32-year-old skater from Reggeborgh could not continue his first time of 34.89. He did not get further than the sixth time in the second race with 35.22.

Ronald Mulder unsubscribes

For Ronald Mulder, the 500 meters ended in minor. The 35-year-old skater of Team Reggeborgh stopped the race during his first 500 meters after a good start after suffering from a groin. Because Mulder does not start in the second 500 meters, he cannot qualify for the World Cup competitions in the 500 meters.

Mulder is a two-time Dutch champion in the 500 meters and won bronze in that distance at the Sochi 2014 Games.

Bergsma wins 5000 meters, Kramer fifth

Jorrit Bergsma has trumped title defender Patrick Roest at the NK Distances in Heerenveen in the 5000 meters. The 35-year-old Frisian skater of Team Zaanlander took the title with 6.07.30 minutes. Roest was second in 6.10.84. Marwin Talsma set the third time with 6.14.31.

Sven Kramer, ten-time Dutch champion in the 5000 meters, finished fifth in 6.16.06. His teammate Marcel Bosker was also faster with 6.15.35. The 35-year-old skater of Jumbo-Visma is therefore not yet certain of a starting ticket for the World Cup competitions.

For Bergsma it is the second time that he takes the title in the 5000 meters. He did that earlier in 2011. Bergsma finished fourth at the Dutch National Championships last year.

The best four skaters qualify for the World Cup competitions on the 5000 meters. For the fifth ticket, the 10,000 meters on Sunday will also be considered.

De Jong wins 1500 meters

Earlier in the day, the first title in the tournament went to Antoinette de Jong. In the 1500 meters, the 26-year-old skater was too strong for Ireen Wüst (silver) and Jutta Leerdam (bronze).

Antoinette de Jong cheers after winning the 1500 meters.

Antoinette de Jong cheers after winning the 1500 meters.

In stage eight, Jutta Leerdam set things straight with a time of 1.53.64, which put her half a second above Wüst’s track record. Wüst was able to improve Leerdam’s time, but her opponent Antoinette de Jong was even faster with 1.53.20, exactly one tenth above the track record. It was her first Dutch title in the 1500 meters.

Koen Verweij withdraws

Koen Verweij will not be in action at the NK Distances this weekend. The 31-year-old skater is suffering from a back injury. He would participate in the 1000 meters, 1500 meters and the mass start.

However, both the medical and technical staff of his team did not think this was justified. According to the team, Verweij had done everything possible to be fit on time, but tests on Friday morning showed that this had not been successful.

The Noord-Hollander has been closely involved in setting up Team Worldstream over the past year and a half, which presented Corendon as a new sponsor last week. His girlfriend Jutta Leerdam is the leader of the team. “I have been a lot more athlete in recent months than last year, when everything was only about setting up the team and keeping Jutta outside,” Verweij said at the team presentation last week. “I think if I wake up tomorrow morning, I can officially be an athlete again. Now a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can work towards the Olympic qualifying tournament in December.”

Request KNSB

The Dutch skating association KNSB has asked the skaters who qualify for the World Cups to ride at least three of the four competitions this season. According to the KNSB, this is important for the number of participants that the Netherlands may ultimately delegate to the Olympic Games in Beijing early next year.

The Netherlands can participate in the Olympic skating tournament with a maximum of nine men and nine women. That number of places must be secured by a high position in the World Cup standings in all individual distances, the mass start and the team pursuit. If the performance on one distance or on the team pursuit, for example, lags far behind, this can quickly mean that the Netherlands may delegate eight or even only seven skaters per sex.

The KNSB has therefore called on skaters to participate at least three times in the four World Cup competitions that will be held in November and December, and preferably in all competitions. If the skaters perform as expected in three of the four World Cup competitions, they will achieve enough points to secure the quota, explained technical director Remy de Wit before the NK distances. The mass start and the team pursuit are in any case only held at three World Cup competitions.

“It is super important that we do well at the World Cup competitions,” says De Wit. “It will not be easy, we have to deal with the different routes of the different athletes and also with the corona virus that is spreading around us. All distances and every stage are crucial to make sure we get to 9 starting spots.”

Which skaters qualify for the World Cup competitions is determined at the NK Distances. There are five starting places available at each individual distance. National coach Jan Coopmans will determine at a later date who will start on the mass start and the team pursuit at the World Cup competitions.

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