NOS Skating•
Suzanne Schulting met high expectations at the Winter Games in Beijing with two gold Olympic medals. Now, four years later, the world looks very different for her. “For gold I have to go above and beyond, but never say never.”
Schulting falls during a practice ride in Milan: ‘A bit crazy, it can happen’
Once on the ice in Milan, the Olympic jitters start to kick in, but Schulting had a bumpy road to the Games. All’s well that ends well, because she ultimately qualified in two disciplines: long track speed skating and short track speed skating.
“I think it is very special that I can start on both. To achieve that was really not a 1-2 task.” Qualifying for a Dutch skater is difficult enough in itself, says Schulting, who can start on the long track in the 1,000 meters.
Immense spanning
“The tension of the OKT was immense, really extreme. I have never experienced anything like this, not even four years ago at the Games. It is actually much worse than that.”
Schulting was forced to focus on long track speed skating because she had too much pain wearing her short track skates after an ankle fracture. That is now working again and after a good National Short Track Championships she was appointed to start in that discipline as well, in the 1,500 meters.
“I’m glad that things are going well again now. I didn’t think I could do short track speed skating at all.”
Schulting is now fully focused on the long track, but after Monday, the day of her 1,000 meters, she will join the short track team. Her selection for the short track team caused quite a stir, because it meant that Diede van Oorschot had to stay at home, a regular in the relief team.
Knot in her stomach
Schulting sympathizes with Van Oorschot, she says. “It is of course very sad for the person who does not go. I also had a knot in my stomach.”
She considered contacting Van Oorschot, but ultimately decided against it. “She doesn’t get much out of it when I send her a message. That’s how I looked at it.”
“It’s just very annoying, but on the other hand – what I’m about to say sounds very harsh – but that is what top sport is. Hard and tough. You also saw that at the OKT. There are also people who you think: they just have to drive.”
The sentence
Schulting cannot do much with the opinions of others. “People have something to say about everything, especially about my situation. I simply believe that the best should go and the selection committee has decided that I am part of it.”
Ter Mors about selecting Schulting: ‘A bomb, I would not have made this choice’
Former short tracker and skater Jorien ter Mors believed that the choice of Schulting had thrown a bomb under the relief team.
“The girls go to the Games with such a close group and suddenly someone comes along who has not experienced that entire process. Not the ups, not the downs. And then suddenly function as a team again? I wonder how they are going to do that.”
Schulting: “I know what’s going on and ultimately the team is fine now.”
Schulting had secretly hoped to also start on the 1,000 meter short track, but that was not possible. What does she think of that choice by national coach Niels Kerstholt and the selection committee? “Yes, I can understand that.”
She finds it annoying. “I am a two-time Olympic champion at that distance, so it obviously hurts if you are not allowed to ride it. But it is what it is. I could make a big fuss about it and make a whole thing out of it, but that doesn’t make much sense.”
And maybe a medal after all? She sighs: “If you participate you have a chance, so never say never.”
