Noorderling29

Also a first: never before has a Dutch pair participated in the games, according to media rapports.

The Technical director of the Dutch Olympic Committee has, using his discretionary powers, decided to include them in the team. He cites “extra-ordinary circumstances”, but has not stated what they are. The use of these powers is quite rare. They were used in 2022 to nominate an alpine-skier.

Not just Erin Jackson, but several others like for instance Joep Wennemars. Think of it what you may, it’s all down to the way the rules are written up. The rationale is probably to prevent that a rider that falls is automatically relegated to the B group.

Matrix: women /

Matrix: men

Stolz participated in the mass start in Heerenveen, but fell. I don’t know whether he started in the earlier two world cups, but have a vague memory of him participating in the past (but may well suffer from valse recall).

With the exception of 🇧🇷 instead 🇸🇪, rather predictable.

Agreed. But OTOH, the chances of a Male Team pursuit medal also seem rather slim at the moment, so why the hassle of dropping someone.

4 years ago the third Male 500 metres qualifier was dropped for a Team pursuit rider.

RTBF (The Walloon public broadcaster) are up this year, and they have decided to participate. VRT (their Flemish counterpart) seem to take the opposite position, but have no say. A Dutch poll apparently shows that 61% support the decision to boycot. Our Media minister said yesterday that he had tried for some time to get another Dutch broadcaster to deliver a Dutch entrance, but this was not taken up.

But they are wrong.

Belgian media claim otherwise.

The Dutch tv commentator just talked about rumours about Schulting, and according to a newspaper article Schulting is training with the Dutch ST team. No decisions have been made yet: she will probably want to see how the OKT goes.

Apparently Groenewold suffered from travelling to Utah late, as did one of her teammates, while two others from that team did not. That will not be a factor later on. Groenewold was sensational at the Dutch Champs/World Cup qualifier, while Daleman was average. For Daleman to qualify she will have to drastically improve her times, and must hope some of her rivals have peaked too early/crumble under the pressure of the OKT. At the moment, in none of her three distances I would rate her in the top 4 of Dutch riders, let alone top 3. The riders in front of her have all proven this weekend that they’ve world class

I’ve tried to find some background and context, but can’t find any. She’s no longer part of the national ST squad and her comments after her failure to qualify for the Long Track world cups seemed to rule out a return to the short track. Angel Daleman did qualify for the LT world cups, but at the moment seems unlikely to qualify for the LT Olympics, looking at the results this weekend in Salt Lake City. There are currently just too many rivals in the Dutch team that are much faster than she is. I wonder if she’s contemplating a return to the short track, which would boost at the least our relay chances. The decisive qualifying LT tournament is of course still a few weeks away, so her fortunes could change.

Anouk Vetter (32), heptatlete, 2016 European Champion, Olympic silver in 2021 and silver at the 2022 and bronze at the 2017 and 2023 Worlds.

I try to avoid both the sailing and the NOS coverage at the Olympics (and most other events).

Marit Bouwmeester, most succesful female Olympic sailor, with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal.

Footnote: Yesterday Prins lost the 1500 metres by 0,04.

Yesterday: 500 metres Kok 37,00 and 37,10. Track record: 36,97

1000 metres: Wennemars 1.07,17, Prins 1.07,22 (with a suit that malfunctioned), De Boo 1.07,27. Track record is 1.07,08.

Conijn 6.41,48 over 5000 metres. 0.23 above the Dutch record, 2,46 above the WR.

Ria van Velzen (82). She swam a world record in the 100 metres backstroke in 1958, broke the record three more times, but finished “only” 7th in the Rome Olympic finale. She was European champion in 1962, and ended her career after the 1964 Olympics.

He was born in 2000, so calling him young is a bit of a stretch. Lavreysen was born in 1997, so just 3 years older.