Big surprise on the first day of the European Championships in Thialf: Marijke Groenewoud is the European champion in the 3,000 metres. “Sounds really nice and that’s why I came today.”
After two world titles in the mass start, Groenewoud won his first title in the classic distance race on Friday evening. To everyone’s surprise, she defeated teammate and Olympic champion Irene Schouten in the 3,000 meters and Ragne Wiklund, who was unbeaten at this distance in 2023. “The pace was very easy all week. I wanted to work hard today and it worked out very well. I held out pretty well.
Damage limited
Groenewoud, 24, started with great enthusiasm and stuck to his course record program for some time throughout his journey. “You know, when you start off so hard, things get a little bigger from there. However, I managed to keep the damage fairly limited.
Did Schouten’s worse racing on the stage before him, or his faster driving than his direct rival Wiklund, have an impact on his race? “I’m not very good at timing, so I tried to run my own race.”
“I had a bit of a mediocre day last week (at the national championship distances), so I was really disappointed. So it’s good to start the tournament this way.”
As many (international) skaters admit, winning at Thialf is something special. Groenewoud also enjoyed the atmosphere at the skating temple. “At one point I was underperforming and then I saw the crowd getting more and more crazy. Then you know it’s good and it gives you strength.”
Schouten was clearly unhappy with his trip. Schouten laughs: “But I’m glad my record still stands.”
After switching to new knives last week, he decided to use his old knives again. “I’m still searching a little bit. I thought I had the situation under control yesterday. But what I’m doing now is really bad. “A time like this, especially with a full Thialf, is more suitable for a training match than for the European Championship.” “
Schouten can’t yet say exactly where something went wrong. “After the national championship marathon, I took the pressure off. I thought: It will be quiet for a while and I will recharge my batteries during the three-kilometer day. Maybe I should have won…”
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.
