Noorderling29

After the Dutch team won 23 out of a possible 32 Speed skating medals in 2014, some changes were made. In the 500, 1000 and 1500 metres the maximum number of skaters per country was reduced from 4 to 3, and in the 10 km from 3 to 2. Also the quotum was lowered from 10 to 9. In the past the maximum number of swimmers per event per country was 3. This led on too many occasions to countries sweeping the podium.

They must have. IRRC In the 1980s it was far easier to get to the Games, without limits to number of participants or certain minimum standards.

I can understand why he was popular, I liked him too. But that’s not enough reason to send someone to the Games.

Because he was not a good ski jumper. Just looked it up in Wikipedia. In both his events in 1988 he finished last, with about half the points of the number last but one. And it was not just a bad day, which can happen to anyone, but the pattern of his complete career.

Since the 2020 COVID Games our NOC seems to be little less strict. In 2021 and 2022 I could understand this, given the extra-ordinary circumstances. But both in 2024 and this year the NOC nominated people that in my humble opinion really were not at the required level. I would never want us to send someone like Eddie The Eagle.

And, a kid with a talent for sports is far more likely to chose a sport we are already succesful in. Because the infrastructure is there and the media coverage is there, so he/she will have been exposed to that sport. A kid is far more likely to chose Judo, where we have (had) considerable success, with a local club almost everywhere than Wrestling, where we have no history whatsoever.

You’re right. We finished in 6th.

If Lollobrigida was just a few hundreds of a seconds slower in the 5000 metres, it would have been 11 golds for us, 9 for Italy. Who knows what would have happened if the Dutch mixed relay team had stayed on its feet. Etc etc But of course, that’s not how it works. You win some medals you did not expect to win, you lose some you thought near-certainities. In some events you are unlucky, in others you profit from the misfortune from your competitors. You have some narrow wins (for instance Riijpma-De Jong) and some narrow losses (for instance Conijn and the Men’s team pursuit).

We were top 5 in Paris 2024, and broke our gold medal records in both 2024 and 2026.

Before this games the 500 metres Women and Mass Start Men were the only two speed skating events the Dutch team had never won at the Olympics. So now the set is complete.

Worst thing: It was completely predictable that Bergsma would try this tactic, since it’s the only way he can win. He has done it more than once in the past.

He’s a Hungarian

Niels Kerstholt succeeded the very succesfull Jeroen Otter as National Coach after the Beijing Olympics.Otter became national coach in 2010, and slowly returned Dutch short track skating to the top, winning three Olympic titles. At the beginning Kerstholt was heavily criticised by veteran Sjinkie Knegt, our first Olympic medaillist in 2014, and more veiled by Suzanne Schulting, our first Olympic champion in 2018. I probably was not the only one who expected the dismissal of Kerstholt. But at the 2023 World championships in Seoul his team won 5 World titles and his position was secure. Now Knegt has retired and Schulting has resettled to long track skating.

We’ll take the medals where we can find them

9 non - speedskating golds: 1 figure skating, 1 snowboard and 7 short track. So only one snow gold medal, and that’s even our only snow medal. We have won 8 golds in each of the last 3 Winter Games, and 6 (so far) this year, while, with only a little exaggeration, only seriously competing in 23 events.

Kok’s gold is our 50th speedskating gold, half are won from 2010 onwards.

Kok: 24th victory in a row. 500 metres women is our worst Olympic female event, with before today just one bronze medal, and 6 top 8 finishes. Mass start for men is now the only event that we have never won in the Olympics, with just one bronze medal

Fourth fastest time ever

But, strange things can happen. In 2022, the Japanese women were on their way to the gold medal, but one of their riders fell (in the last bend IIRC). Sometimes the pace is too fast for the third rider, and they are dropped. It happened to the French rider this afternoon.

I don’t think anyone here expects them to win a medal. The other three teams are clearly better sides, knowing that China will bring in their best man.

Canada even failing in its quest for 4th places, apparantly only 1 so far

It has not remained unnoticed that one person is conspicously missing in all the orange festivities. Schulting was in the stadium yesterday as reserve for the relay, but according to the NOS left the stadium immediately after that race. The post race interview made clear that the team would prefer her not to race in the final.

According to the NOS, this were the two fastest times ever at sea level