Speed Skating Discussion | Qualification to Winter Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026

[Noorderling29 238]

8 hours ago, JockCartier said:

I think it depends on the sport. 

 

On one hand, I admire the meritocracy of trials for Dutch speed skating or US athletics... but I don't think it's necessarily a recipe for optimal results forcing athletes to run the gauntlet at incredibly competitive trials, then turn around and try to peak again in short order at the Olympics. 

It's something Canada does for our curling teams, and I think it's been a big part of the reason we've underperformed internationally more than one would expect. The successes we've had I feel are largely in spite of the qualification system, not because of it. Granted curling is a much different sport, but in it's case and it were up to me, I'd do like Sweden or GB, select the team the prior season then let them properly plan their seasons around the Olympics and preparing properly... rather than needing to peak for trials, and pouring whomever survives onto a plane for the Olympics a few weeks later

For speedskating, I like the Canadian system. It's a mix of international results and trials. The medal contenders largely have their spots sewn up, so trials are a none-issue... and the rest are mostly just making up the numbers, so a heavier weighting on trials results is fair enough as no one else in that situation has done enough to solidify their position prior, so might as well play the hot hand. The Dutch having such incredible depth would obviously need to set the pre-qualification bar higher, but I don't think it would hurt them. But then again, their entire system is build around performance on demand... and that's produced great results, even if a few Ted-Jan Bloeman's wash out along the way

For me, a system with pre-nomination only works when you only have a few stars. Of course you want to protect them. In case of yesterday’s 1500. The World champion did not qualify, but the three women would did are all capable of winning a medal and have skated faster than Beune ever did in Heerenveen. So why should Beune be protected.
 

If we would return to that system the pressure would just be moved to the World Cup qualifiers. Miss out there, and your chances of the Olympics are hugely diminished. We had a system like that in the past, which in some cases meant that skaters who had their peak earlier in the season, or even in the previous season, but had lost their form by the time that the Games came along, were nominated. That system could well mean some newbie like van der Bunt misses out.

 

With other Words, there is no system that 100% guarantees a perfect outcome.

[Noorderling29 238]

Listening to the interviews the past four days, it’s clear just how stressfull the OKT is. Even for someone like De Boo, who is clearly our best sprinter, or Nuijs, in his 5th OKT.

[heywoodu 16,465]

11 hours ago, copravolley said:

And is the current Ned men's team coached by an athlete who competed in the 2002 OG and won a medal in the 1000 meters, I think? A blond guy with long hair.

There is no 'NED men's team'  

 

I mean, there is a national coach, but it's not really like a national team, more of a collective of riders from different teams who happen to suit up in the same orange during international races. But yes, the 'coach' (more like manager of the team I think, he certainly isn't actually training athletes) of the national team is Rintje Ritsma, the blond guy. Not Gerard van Velde, who you refer to with the 1000m gold  (who is also a coach nowadays)

[heywoodu 16,465]

10 hours ago, copravolley said:

After 2006, Fabris was never as so good again... But Fabris also never had such successes outside the 2006 Olympics than the current Ghiotto...

Fabris was better in the years after the Olympics than in the years before.

[heywoodu 16,465]

9 hours ago, JockCartier said:

I think it depends on the sport. 

 

On one hand, I admire the meritocracy of trials for Dutch speed skating or US athletics... but I don't think it's necessarily a recipe for optimal results forcing athletes to run the gauntlet at incredibly competitive trials, then turn around and try to peak again in short order at the Olympics. 

It's something Canada does for our curling teams, and I think it's been a big part of the reason we've underperformed internationally more than one would expect. The successes we've had I feel are largely in spite of the qualification system, not because of it. Granted curling is a much different sport, but in it's case and it were up to me, I'd do like Sweden or GB, select the team the prior season then let them properly plan their seasons around the Olympics and preparing properly... rather than needing to peak for trials, and pouring whomever survives onto a plane for the Olympics a few weeks later

For speedskating, I like the Canadian system. It's a mix of international results and trials. The medal contenders largely have their spots sewn up, so trials are a none-issue... and the rest are mostly just making up the numbers, so a heavier weighting on trials results is fair enough as no one else in that situation has done enough to solidify their position prior, so might as well play the hot hand. The Dutch having such incredible depth would obviously need to set the pre-qualification bar higher, but I don't think it would hurt them. But then again, their entire system is build around performance on demand... and that's produced great results, even if a few Ted-Jan Bloeman's wash out along the way

My personally favourite system would be something where there is a certain set of high criteria to be pre-selected (like winning at least all but one of the World Cups in a certain distance before the trials), which would really only pre-select the absolute top - disadvantage is that you're somewhat forcing them to be in peak shape for one and a half month or so, which isn't good for Olympic performance, although they can choose to go for the trials of course. Rest of the spots would then be done by trials.

 

That too would have it's drawbacks though. Focus on the World Cup qualifiers would be almost the same as it is for trials now, as one would need to qualify to have a chance of being pre-selected.

Edited December 30, 2025 by heywoodu

[heywoodu 16,465]

45 minutes ago, Noorderling29 said:

Listening to the interviews the past four days, it’s clear just how stressfull the OKT is. Even for someone like De Boo, who is clearly our best sprinter, or Nuijs, in his 5th OKT.

Yep, it is insane, although I was a little annoyed by Mark Tuitert saying this is 'unique in the Netherlands, unique in sports even' - no it's literally not unique in sports  

 

But the tension....unbelievable. I'm noticing I feel the tension even worse now that we're in the middle of our own Olympic qualifying process here, it makes the trials both more and less fun to watch  And I find it harder to sympathize with athletes like Beune, who miss out on a distance but not on the Olympics, then on athletes who miss out on the Olympics althogether...

[FeelingVeryOlympic 8]

The USA has a hybrid selection model -- Jordan Stolz, Erin Jackson, maybe a couple of others -- prequalified through World Championships and World Cup results even though they will still skate at trials. It was different four years ago when Jackson tripped in the 500 at trials, finished one spot out of the team and Brittany Bowe gave up her spot for Jackson (though Bowe's best events were the 1000 and 1500 and it was believed anyway the US would get an extra 500 quota on reallocation, which they later did, so Bowe was able to skate the 500 in Beijing anyway). 

[heywoodu 16,465]

9 minutes ago, FeelingVeryOlympic said:

The USA has a hybrid selection model -- Jordan Stolz, Erin Jackson, maybe a couple of others -- prequalified through World Championships and World Cup results even though they will still skate at trials. It was different four years ago when Jackson tripped in the 500 at trials, finished one spot out of the team and Brittany Bowe gave up her spot for Jackson (though Bowe's best events were the 1000 and 1500 and it was believed anyway the US would get an extra 500 quota on reallocation, which they later did, so Bowe was able to skate the 500 in Beijing anyway). 

Why would prequalified athletes skate at the trials?

[phelps 8,730]

16 hours ago, copravolley said:

After 2006, Fabris was never as so good again... But Fabris also never had such successes outside the 2006 Olympics than the current Ghiotto...

Fabris had a bad back problem since then

it was already a miracle he didn't stop after the 2007 season

[heywoodu 16,465]

3 hours ago, phelps said:

Fabris had a bad back problem since then

it was already a miracle he didn't stop after the 2007 season

And, to be clear, he was better after Turin than before