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Roest beats world champion Krol at 1,500 meters in Heerenveen
At the qualifying tournament for the World Cup in Thialf, Patrick Roest surprisingly won the 1,500 meters. Favorite Thomas Krol did not get further than third place.
In the absence of Olympic champion Kjeld Nuis, who suffered a groin injury earlier this week, world champion Krol was the obvious winner of the 1,500 meters. But Krol collapsed completely on the last lap and finished after 1.46.07.
That was a lot slower than Roest, who had clocked 1.44.62 two rides earlier. Last season, Krol came in second in important competitions four times in the 1,500 meters, each time behind Nuis. This time he had to be satisfied with a third place behind Roest and the surprising Louis Hollaar.
a must
Krol didn’t seem really sad about that: “Qualifying for the World Cups is always a must. There is not much to achieve. But I am happy that it worked.”
At least Krol knows that there is still some work to be done: “I’m not in top shape yet and I’m not hitting them well yet.”
Nervous Hollaar surprised
Hollaar squeezed between the two stars with 1.45.42, although his teammate Nuis made him the top favorite in the 1,500 meters earlier this week. “He’s been harassing me all week,” smiled Hollaar, who admitted to having been very nervous, but now mainly relieved.
Wesly Dijs and Jordy van Workum also grabbed a ticket for the World Cup tournaments.
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However, there is a chance that the KNSB skating association decides to designate the absent Nuis for the next four World Cup competitions in view of his record. That would be at the expense of Van Workum.
Watch Sunday’s skating program, again live on the NOS.
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The new season
The first four World Cup competitions will be held in Stavanger and Heerenveen (in November) and twice in Calgary (in December). The fifth World Cup and the World Cup final are in Poland in February.
The starting tickets for the European Championships all-round and sprint in Hamar, at the beginning of January, will be distributed at the NK, at the end of December. The participants in the World Championship distances in early March in Heerenveen will be announced after the National Championship distances in early February.
