A year ago Irene Schouten decided to put an end to her impressive career. The 32-year-old Hoogkarspelse participated just before that the World Championship distances in Calgary. In Canada she won three gold medals and a silver slab and thus brought her number of world titles on the Langebaan at nine.
Not much later Schouten announced that she was pregnant. After giving birth it started to itch again and she gave her to return. After the game, Schouten was fairly satisfied for the microphone of the NOS: “I was not too bad. In the end I skated along.”