The Dutch skaters failed to win gold in the team pursuit during the Olympic Games in Beijing. The pursuit women, led by Jan Coopmans from Baarlo, were disappointing.
The women had to make do with the bronze, the men missed out on the medals for the first time in Olympic history.
Canada
Due to the poor times in the quarter-finals, both Dutch teams already met strong opponents in the semi-finals. Where in the quarter-finals the fastest times went through to the next round, in the semi-finals it was all about winning the direct duels. The Dutch women, with Olympic champions Ireen Wüst and Irene Schouten and bronze medalist Antoinette de Jong at the start, met Canada in their semi-final.
Match plan
National coach Coopmans decided not to change his starting position and game plan against the Canadian women. The Orange opened faster and had more than one second lead after a round. After that, the Netherlands conceded too much every round, making the lead a deficit. In the end, the Orange lost the semi-final by 0.98 seconds.
Bronze duel
In the battle for bronze, the Netherlands met the Russian Olympic Committee, which was eliminated by Japan in the semifinals with a big difference. Coopmans decided to make a substitution in his team. Marijke Groenewoud replaced Antoinette de Jong in the starting grid. Again the Orange Women started much faster, where the Russians left slowly. As a result, the difference quickly rose to over three seconds and it soon became clear that the Netherlands was going to win bronze. In the end the difference was 1.8 seconds and Coopmans’ team captured the bronze medal. For Ireen Wüst it was her 13th medal at the Olympics.
The gold in the pursuit women went to Canada. Outgoing champion Japan led the entire race, but a Japanese crashed in the final corner.
Men
With their fourth time in the quarterfinals, the chasing men beat the fastest country in the semifinals: Norway, the 2018 Olympic champion. Like the women, the men also opened quickly in their semifinals. But the men’s team, consisting of Marcel Bosker, Sven Kramer and Patrick Roest, could not maintain that pace either. Orange conceded 1.34 seconds at the finish and therefore also sentenced to the bronze final.
United States
The Dutch men did not change their line-up after the semi-finals and faced the United States in the battle for bronze. After an exciting battle, they were eliminated by the Russian Olympic Committee in the semi-finals, but they did set a fast time. In the battle for bronze, the Orange was not involved for a moment. The American skaters were faster on every lap and finished by almost three seconds.
The gold in the men went again to Norway. They were clearly faster than the Russians in the final.
mass start
Coopmans’ task at the Olympics is not yet finished. Next Saturday the mass start is on the program for the men and women. Coopmans is also ultimately responsible for that part.