Stefan Westenbroek has suffered a fracture in the big toe of his left foot. The skater of Team Reggeborgh, who surprised at the World Cup qualifying tournament, may therefore not be able to participate in the first World Cup competition of the season in Stavanger.
Twenty-year-old Westenbroek broke his toe when a bar fell on his foot during strength training, the team manager of Team Reggeborgh reported on Wednesday.
Last weekend, Westenbroek surprisingly won the 500 meters at the qualifiers for the first four World Cup competitions of the season. With a time of 34.87 seconds he kept Merijn Scheperkamp one hundredth behind him.
The sprinter will see a doctor on Thursday. Then it must be clear how serious the injury is and whether he can participate in Stavanger.
If Westenbroek does start in Norway, it will not be his World Cup debut. He made that last season in Calgary, although he benefited from cancellations from almost all the big names.
The World Cup competition in Stavanger will take place from 11 to 13 November. A week later, the second World Cup meeting of this season is scheduled in Heerenveen.
