He actually thinks the world champion should be there, but he disagrees. Irene Schouten, the world’s best all-round skater and brand new Athlete of the Year, will not be competing in the NK All-Around next week. “On the advice of coaches.”
This means that on the first weekend of the new year they will not qualify for the European All-Around Championship either, as these starting places will be awarded in the national championship.
“Of course it’s a championship and I want to drive championships, but I knew it would be a lot,” he said on Thialf on Thursday.
Schouten: “The trainers said: Irene, now it’s better to just concentrate on the three-pointer, five-pointer, burst, team chase, and marathon. This is quite a lot. That’s why they said: It’s better not to have a versatile NK. “
The “rest” is just above the new medals. So that Schouten’s hips don’t burn completely in the most important games. NK distance in early February and World Cup distance in early March.
exciting year
That’s a good thing after an exciting year when Schouten won three Olympic gold medals.
He can now “complete a good training block” before the season is over. “If it was versatile at the end of the season, I would definitely be in. Because then I will train more for speed. If I start training for too much speed now, I will miss my base for three and five at the end of the season.”
Schouten skips a game and isn’t bad with his “full skating schedule” either. However, the cancellation is a bit gnawing for the versatile NK.
“I actually thought: Just standing there is a bit like being a world champion.” It had actually been an interesting challenge and a good test. Opponent Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong is in excellent form, especially at short distances.
“Antoinette is doing very well in the 500 and 1500 meters, so I think it’s going to be a really exciting and beautiful tournament, but I’m still going in that direction.
Schouten sees another small advantage. “I will celebrate Christmas at home for the first time in twelve years.”
Source: NOS
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.
