“I came home this week after a day with the team and thought: I’m looking forward to the OKT. Everyone is feeling good, so let’s go!’, with these words Yara van Gendt kicks off the interview. Joy Beune previously shared a similar message. Is that a bluff or is there actually so much confidence within the team? “I certainly believe that Joy is looking forward to it,” says Van Gendt. “That doesn’t mean that it isn’t exciting, or that she doesn’t think at all holy shit, this is getting fucking scary. Yet you can still enjoy it. She is approaching the tournament with confidence. It’s nice how she approaches it.”
The OKT monster has been lurking through the skaters’ dreams all winter long. One person pushes him away for a while, but at IKO-X2O they prefer to look him straight in the eye. “Here it has never been the pink elephant in the room. In my opinion, you cannot pretend it is not there. During team sessions we discussed what challenges come our way and how we can prepare for them as best as possible. In those conversations, for example, experienced athletes spoke. They shared that the tension in them never goes away: ‘Even though I have done this ten times already, I am still very nervous. Those nerves don’t go away and they don’t have to, so don’t expect it.’ Educational for the young riders, who realize that they have to deal with it.”
