The skating training in Tilburg will be stopped for a while before the competition of Ireen Wüst, Irene Schouten and Antoinette de Jong in the team pursuit in Beijing. The children who train weekly at the Ireen Wüst Ice Rink are impressed by their Olympic hero.
“I train here five times a week,” says Martha Breemer on the ice of the Ireen Wüst IJsbaan. She is on her skates every week with fifteen other children. In the corner of the ice rink, a screen shows what is happening at the same time on the Olympic ice in Beijing. †
“There are really talents among them,” says trainer Jolene Verbraak proudly. “Certainly in the youngest categories there are some who always finish on the podium. As a member of our club, I have also experienced Ireen from the beginning and then it is very special to see her there now,” says Jolene. “I’m very impressed and I want to be as good as Ireen when I grow up,” says one of the skaters with a big smile.
Jeroen Happel of IJsclub Tilburg sees a ‘Wüst effect’. “The number of registrations has taken off again recently, especially in the run-up to the Olympic Games. It is extremely busy, in fact we are full,” says Jeroen. “They actually all want to become the new Ireen and you never know, because Ireen really broke through just after youth.
Hiba Pals is also one of the fanatic youth riders. “Skating is very important to me, it’s really a part of my life,” she says. “You just have to practice a lot to get faster and better.”