NOS Skating•
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Pepijn Schoemans
editor skating in Thialf
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Pepijn Schoemans
editor skating in Thialf
Multiple Olympic short track champion Suzanne Schulting (28) has not started her first full season as a long track skater well. She missed out on a World Cup ticket at the Daikin NK distances last weekend because she did not finish in the top five in either the 500 or 1,000 meters.
Schulting becomes fierce on Sunday evening in the catacombs of Thialf when the word short track is mentioned, aimed at possible doubts about her choice. “There’s just a chance that I won’t do well, like this weekend. Should I immediately change my plans and return to short track? The focus remains on the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.”
During those five days, the Olympic qualifying tournament is scheduled for the long track, where all tickets for Milan will be distributed.
Ankle injury
“It’s a huge disappointment,” Schulting said earlier in the day, after she finished eleventh in the 1,000 meters. “It just wasn’t good enough. Others were faster and I should have driven better, especially compared to last year. That’s very frustrating.”
Even after disappointing National Championships, Schulting continues to focus on long track: ‘Thought I was better’
Schulting, who missed fifth place in the 500 meters on Saturday by 0.06 seconds, switched to the long track last year due to a nasty ankle injury she sustained at the World Short Track Championships. This summer she definitively opted for the 400-meter track towards the February Games in Milan.
At the National Championships, a top five ranking would have meant participation in the first four World Cups, in Salt Lake City, Calgary, Heerenveen and Hamar. Something she managed to do last season. Schulting now has no competitive matches heading into the Olympic qualifying tournament at the end of December.
The question ‘what next?’ can’t answer them yet. “I haven’t had time to analyze yet. I definitely have to continue building and be there at the OKT. There is time, but I have to do better than this weekend. You won’t come close with this.”
The winners of the first skating weekend were mainly in the teams of coaches Gerard van Velde (Reggeborgh) and Jillert Anema (AH-Zaanlander), who together won nine of the ten distances.
“You never know what the opponents can do, but I expected our athletes to be able to do this,” Anema said. In his team, Marijke Groenewoud (1,500 meters), Merel Conijn (3,000 and 5,000 meters) and Jorrit Bergsma (10,000 meters) won national titles. “A number of riders have approached what they can, but the real top ride has not yet occurred.”
Anema stated that they are not going to try to maintain the form. “We are going to build and train again. What we did here, we will do again before Christmas.” Anema doesn’t believe in peaking too early. “That doesn’t change much in the approach. I do expect other teams to provide more resistance. It won’t be that easy.”
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