Feb 15, 2024 at 11:10 PM Update: 21 hours ago
Patrick Roest became world champion again on Thursday in the 5 kilometers. The South Hollander fulfilled his role of favorite in Calgary with an excellent ride.
After an extremely flat race in the penultimate stage, Roest clocked a time of 6.07.28 in the Calgary Olympic Oval. This made him one second faster than his Italian rival Davide Ghiotto, who had recorded the fastest time in the ride before Roest (6.08.61). The bronze went to the Norwegian Sander Eitrem (6.09.00).
Roest was the big favorite for gold in advance. De Lekkerkerker had won all the 5 kilometer races in which he participated this season and was the defending champion. He also became European and Dutch champion over the distance.
The Netherlands experienced an excellent first day of the World Championship distances, which last until Sunday. Earlier in the day, Irene Schouten was crowned world champion in the 3 kilometers. It was her first World Cup gold at that distance.
Chris Huizinga and Marcel Bosker couldn’t make any progress. Huizinga finished seventh in 6.15.04. Bosker finished fifteenth in 6.23.87, more than sixteen seconds behind Roest. Twenty skaters participated in the 5 kilometers.
Second world title in a row for Roest
For Roest it is his second world title in a row in the 5 kilometers. Last year he was also the best over the distance in Heerenveen. That first individual world title made a lot of sense to Roest, who until then had only become world all-round champion.
The world title in Calgary is the fourth in total for Roest. In 2021 and 2023 he was part of the golden pursuit team. This year he will not ride that discipline, out of dissatisfaction with the policy of national coach Rintje Ritsma. He will, however, compete in the 1,500 and 10,000 meters on Sunday.
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