Schulting & Van Oorschot: European Short Track Updates

• Sander Maassen van den Brink

  editor NOS Sport

While the entire short track selection is preparing for the Olympic Games in Tilburg this weekend at the European Championships, there is one notable absentee: Suzanne Schulting. The Groningen woman combines two sports in Milan: long track speed skating and short track speed skating, in which she is a three-time Olympic champion.

Schulting was added to the Olympic short track selection at the last minute, at the expense of Diede van Oorschot. Schulting’s first focus is skating. That’s why she doesn’t drive in Tilburg and Van Oorschot does.

“It’s a shame she’s not there, but I’m not going to discuss that. We made agreements at the beginning of the year and Suzanne and Jac Orie, her skating coach, are leading in developing her program. They are now opting for a different route,” says national coach Niels Kerstholt.

Schulting could have made extra short track meters in Tilburg, since she has mainly skated this season. Kerstholt: “As a national coach, I would indeed want her to be there often, that increases your chances.” Now Schulting will only join the short track selection in Italy, after she has skated her 1,000 meters on the long track. In the short track she rides the 1,500 meters.

These were difficult weeks for national coach Kerstholt. In recent years he has worked with a selection towards the Games, a selection of which Van Oorschot was a permanent member.

“It was a heavy blow for her to be told that you are not going to Milan. For me, it was mainly important to put the feeling aside and keep it businesslike. The pain is more with the athlete than the coach. Of course I feel the pain too, more than the euphoria that others are going.”

Van Oorschot reported to Tilburg with restrained anger. She spoke politely to the press, but the disappointment of missing the Games was clear.

“I would have just loved to be there. Of course it was a big disappointment, but the choice was not mine. I try not to worry about it anymore. There are plenty of other fun things now, such as this European Championship. That’s how I try to deal with it.”

The 22-year-old from Utrecht also dealt with this by stepping out of the top sports bubble for a while. Kerstholt gave her a few days off. “I went to meet up with friends and get out for a bit. We ate some tasty things and enjoyed ourselves a bit.

Now Van Oorschot has to go back to the ice rink this weekend, with almost everyone who can go to Milan. Men’s leader Jens van ‘t Wout has a lot of respect for that. “I think it’s very strong of her. I could also have imagined that she would have said: fuck you, I’m done with it.”

Van Oorschot does not do that, she wants to turn her disappointment into strength and show her class at the European Championships. She will then encourage her teammates at home from the couch in February. “I’ll go and see the boys and girls the support.”