Dutch dominate European Speed Skating Championships
The Netherlands seal four gold medals and another podium sweep on day two of the event in Heerenveen.
Speed Skating
Another day, another medal sweep for the Netherlands, who dominated day two of the ISU European Speed Skating Championships on home ice in Heerenveen.
Olympic silver medallist Antoinette de Jong set the early standard, winning the women’s 1500m in 1:54:83 and claiming the allround title.
Next up was three-time world champion Patrick Roest, who took the men’s 1500m in 1:45:53 to seal his second win of the championships and the allround title.
Yesterday’s 3000m winner Irene Schouten was pipped into second-place by Czech three-time Olympic champion Martina Sablikova in the women’s allround 5000m.
Sweden’s Nils van der Poel shocked the men’s 5000m to take the title in a new Personal Best time of 12:42:80.
The women’s sprint 500m title went to Russian Angelina Golikova 37.42s, over a tenth of a second quicker than her victorious time on day 1, while former Dutch world champion Kai Verbij won the men’s race in 34.58s.
The third and final Dutch sweep of the championships came in the women’s spring 1000m, where Jutta Leerdam took the title in 1:14:00, ahead of Jorien ter Mors and Femke Kok.
The final race of the event was won by Thomas Krol, who recorded 1:08:02 to take the men’s sprint 1000m.
Yesterday, the hosts laid down a serious statement of intent with four race victories, including two full medal sweeps.
Olympic bronze medallist Irene Schouten won the women’s allround 3000m title in a time of 3:57:95, before Roest took the men’s 5000m in 6:10:25.
The first Dutch sweep came in the penultimate women’s 1000m event, where three-time Olympic champ Jorien ter Mors pipped Jutta Leerdam and Femke Kok into second and third respectively.
In the men’s race, Thomas Krol took top spot in 1:07:49, ahead of second-placed Kai Verbij and Hein Otterspeer in third.
Elsewhere, Karolina Bosiek of Poland secured a personal best of 38.68s to win the women’s allround 500m, while Norwegian Olympic gold medallist Sverre Lunde Pedersen took the men’s race in 36.25s.
Russia’s Golikova sealed gold in the women’s sprint 500m in 37.56s, before her compatriot Viktor Mushtakov won the men’s in 34.69s.