A relatively new face in the Dutch short track top is Bibi Arts. The 20-year-old from Udense was called up as a reserve for the European Championships in Dresden, Germany next weekend, but was told on Thursday that she will not play. These major tournaments will undoubtedly come in the future for the very talented Bibi, who was good at two more sports in her teenage years. “I like taking risks.”
Bibi comes from a real skating family. Her grandfather went to school skating when possible in the winter. When Bibi put on her skates as a child on a winter’s day in Uden, she wanted to stay on the ice as long as possible. “I ‘screwed’ out and didn’t want to go home anymore. My parents therefore registered me for skating lessons at the nearest skating rink in Den Bosch a short time later.”
“I did grow, but I remained very weak.”
Her trainer was the father of Xandra and Michelle Velzeboer, world top athletes in short track speed skating. She really enjoyed skating and quickly focused on short track speed skating. “As a little boy, I mainly worked on my technique, because I had a talent for that. As I got older, I grew, but I remained very thin. Everyone around me became stronger and I was sometimes passed by on all sides. Things are going well now, but I still lack that strength a bit. I am growing more body, just that last bit to be able to compete for the win.”
She was talented in speed skating and short track, and cycling was also added. The bike was good preparation for the winter season for Bibi and she turned out to be fast here too. For example, despite having little experience, she came eleventh at the National Championships in her age category. “Due to a shoulder injury sustained as a result of a fall while roller skating, I was no longer able to train. Then came the corona period and I stopped cycling.”
After the corona years, Bibi decided to focus entirely on short track. As a youth she won several prizes at major tournaments and now she has broken through to the national top among the seniors. At the end of last year she made her debut at the World Tour in Seoul. After the National Championships last week, where she took silver in the 1000 meters, she was called up as a reserve for the European Championships next weekend in Dresden. “The call was not 100 percent unexpected, but my suitcase was not ready yet.”
“I have to be in top shape anyway.”
She traveled to the east of Germany last Monday and there was a chance that she would take action due to a number of injuries, such as with Zoë Florence Deltrap from Lage Zwaluwe. However, Bibi was told on Thursday that she still has to wait for her European Championship debut. “I was in the training schedule as if I was going to participate. Good for me, because I have to be in top shape anyway. Next week I will participate in the FISU World University Games in Italy.”
“Cyclists have more problems.”
Bibi’s rhythm is often training, eating and sleeping. She focuses on all three distances: 500, 1000 and 1500 meters. As long as she can blast on the 111 meter laps. “I find the tactical game interesting and taking risks makes it extra fun. A dangerous sport? If you fall once, nine times out of ten you will just get back up. Cyclists have more loose ends, so you can be completely exposed if you fall.”
In the meantime, she tries to make time in her new hometown of Heerenveen to train as a geography teacher. “During a gap year, I tutored as a job and that’s how I got into teaching. With my studies it is a bit of a challenge in addition to top sport. I haven’t fallen behind in my studies yet, but school is not always our number one priority.”
For the men, Brabander Daan Kos is in the European Championship selection.