After eighty laps on the frozen track of the De Witte Poorte ice rink in Winterswijk, Schilder was the fastest in a bunch sprint. At around 35 millimeters, the ice was deemed thick enough by the KNSB skating association for a marathon on natural ice.
Lianne van Loon finished second, just ahead of Esther Kiel. Kiel won the national title on natural ice at the beginning of this year in a competition on Lake Weissensee and was therefore dressed in the national champion’s jersey.
Skating and inline skating
Last year, Schilder won three gold medals and a silver at the European roller skating championship in Belgium. The parallel with three-time Olympic champion Irene Schouten, also from West Friesland, was already frequently drawn.
“I see it as a compliment. I hope to be as good as Irene. With a good attitude and if I enjoy the sport enough, it might work out,” she told NH at the time.