Despite the support along the edge of the track from family and friends, skater Jeroen Janissen did not get further than ninth place at the Haarlem marathon on Saturday. “It is especially nice that people have encouraged me here,” said the 25-year-old Haarlemmer, who still beamed afterwards.
At the age of seven, Janissen tied his skates for the first time. He did that at IJsclub Haarlem. And from an early age he is super fanatic, says his father. “I remember that we always had to get up early. Every day Jeroen had to be on the track at seven in the morning to train. We were happy to talk about it.”
Ice skating
Janissen also remembers his youth in Haarlem well. “I remember when I made my first meters here as a little boy. I tried to get into the skating stroke of the big skaters and as a little man I was quite in the way. After years of training I got better.”
So Janissen was ninth during his home race last Saturday. He is fifth in the overall standings. The sixth Marathon Cup will be held in Hoorn next week.