Groenewoud Wins National Marathon Skating Title | OKT Update

Marijke Groenewoud has extended her national title at the Daikin NK marathon skating. In Thialf, after a hundred laps in the sprint, she was much stronger than Kim Talsma and Lianne van Loon.

After Groenewoud’s successful Olympic qualifying tournament, where she skated to four Olympic starting places, she absolutely wanted to compete in this Dutch championship in the marathon. “There was a title to be won here, so you want to be there,” Groenewoud said afterwards.

But it didn’t happen automatically. “The start was not very good,” Groenewoud said about the fatigue of the Olympic qualifying tournament. “It will also happen that week.”

It was no surprise that everyone in the match would be watching the AH-Zaanlander team from Groenewoud, where Jillert Anema is the coach. Several attacks followed, but each time Anema’s team kept control.

Groenewoud’s teammate Maaike Verweij had a major share in Groenewoud’s title because she nestled in a leading group several times to slow down the pace and later in the race she brought back a group of escapees several times. “Maaike gets a flower, thanks to her,” Groenewoud was grateful afterwards.

In the final phase of the race, Groenewoud’s team had to make serious progress again because the three remaining frontrunners held on for a long time. Ten laps before the end everything came together again and a bunch sprint was on the way. Groenewoud took no risks by starting the sprint early and making it long.

“They made it difficult for us,” Groenewoud said afterwards. “We had to work hard, but I could rely on my sprint. Just choose all the space myself and then I can do the best sprint.”

The men will also compete in the National Championships in Thialf later this afternoon.