“The atmosphere is great and how super exciting this sport is. We are crazy about the Dutch short trackers,” say Deborah and Astrid Jacobs from Waspik. Mother and daughter sat on Saturday in one of the fully packed grandstands in IJssportcentrum Tilburg for the Isu Shorttrack World Tour. “We have been to Thialf more often in Heerenveen, but this is much more fun for us.”
In the same row as Deborah and Astrid, the Bootsma family from Harderwijk clearly stands out with all orange clothing. If the Dutch short track women take the win in the repayment, they get a standing ovation from the family. “The adrenaline splashes off the ice. In real life the tension is much more tangible than on television. A while ago it hurt to see empty stands at the European Championship in Dresden, but here in Tilburg it is a great spectacle. Be sure to look at this sport more often. “
After the win of Dutch women, a relieved Priscilla Ernst is next to the ice. The mother of Supertalent Zoë Deltrap from Lage Zwaluwe himself participated three times in the Winter Olympics. “But today’s tension cannot be compared with that of the time. I had control on the ice myself, I don’t have that as a spectator. For Zoë it is great to be able to experience this as a 19-year-old. It fits in with The very big steps she takes as a short track star. “
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In the other grandstand, the girlfriends stand out Agnes, Irma, Irma and José from Haaksbergen. It is not yet a carnival, but they have dressed in the orange. “We are a group of girlfriend with, among other things, a former skater and former cyclist. Every year we visit a sporting event. For example, we have already been to the track cycling in Apeldoorn, at skating in Heerenveen and now the ShortTrack in Tilburg there. Always belongs orange clothing.
The Tilburg colors can also be seen in the ice sports center. For example with the athletes who get a scarf of the Kruikenstad during the ceremony. The Italian women’s team even chooses to all proudly wave the green and orange. “It looks like a warm-up for carnival,” says ShortTrack lover Harm Jansen from Tilburg with a smile on his face.
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A proud visitor is Maarten van Asten, alderman of the municipality of Tilburg. While looking at the stands, he indicates that he is not even surprised that no ticket is available this weekend. “We are used to being full in Tilburg. The sports on the ice live in the municipality. Just look at Tilburg Trappers and next week the world top of figure skating will come to the track, for everyone to visit for free. This short track event took a lot to be able to organize it, but we are very satisfied. “