The reality is different, since December 19. A Friday evening on which the girls from Albert Heijn Zaanlander will take a final test in Thialf, in preparation for the all-or-nothing show for Olympic starting tickets. Elisa Dul’s name appears on the start list for the 500 and 1000 meters. And after the races she is also mentioned in the results. DNF in the 500 meters. WDR on the 1000 meters. Abbreviations that say nothing else. Not finishing, that happens so often, not to mention withdrawn.
On that particular Friday, Elisa’s skating season comes to an abrupt end. She falls after a skate point bites into the ice, retracts the safety cushions and immediately senses that something is wrong. What’s called: a double leg fracture. The letters OKT will probably flash through her mind, but they will disappear just as quickly. She can forget about that tournament and with it the Milan Winter Games. Very bad luck.
Eleven days later. ‘Considering the circumstances, things are going okay. Fortunately, the pain is decreasing, so that makes a big difference’, reports Elisa, who is happy to give an update by telephone at the end of the year. “It is not the nicest situation I am in, and that is putting it mildly. But I am happy that everything is neatly back together. That gives confidence for the recovery.”
During the two-hour operation – the same evening – a plate was placed on her fibula, a pin in the tibia and a number of screws at the bottom of the ankle joint. “I saw pictures of it the day after the operation. It has become quite a kit. I am glad that I was helped so quickly, because that is the best for recovery. For the first two weeks I was only allowed to ‘touch weight’ on my leg. I can put my foot down, but do not put any pressure on it. Next week I have to go back to the hospital, then the stitches will be removed and I will receive airwalker (a kind of medical shoe, ed.) which allows me to increase the tax to about fifty percent. According to the doctor, everything will be fully bearable again after six weeks.”
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