The second day of the World Championship distances in Thialf yielded the Netherlands gold medals, but also a painful disqualification. The men’s team of the Dutch skaters won the world title in the team pursuit on Friday. With a time of 3:38.27, Patrick Roest, Marcel Bosker and Beau Snellink overtook the Canadian team in the last lap and a half. Third place went to Norway.
The Dutch women Joy Beune, Irene Schouten and Marijke Groenewoud also initially became world champions in the team pursuit on Friday, but the three were disqualified a few minutes after their victory. A piece of Beune’s ankle was visible during the race, which the International Skating Union does not allow for safety reasons. Although the women were by far the fastest in a track record of 2:52:65, the gold eventually went to the Canadian women.
“I couldn’t do anything else. I put these socks in my shoe beforehand, they came out on the way,” Beune explained. During the race, the 23-year-old did not notice that her ankles were partially exposed. “There is a lady who is checking the ice rise. She checks me and sees that the ankles are covered, so let me go on the ice.” Beune went to the referee with national coach Rintje Tisema to challenge the disqualification, but that was unsuccessful.
Stunt Femke Kok
Femke Kok wrote history on Friday as the first ever Dutch world champion at 500 meters. The 22-year-old defeated the Korean top favorite Kim Min-sun. Kok’s season has been disappointing so far, but she set the fastest time against expectations with 37.28. “The whole season went so bad, every time it didn’t work out. The fact that it has now succeeded is so great,” Friesin said in a reaction to the NOS . Compatriot Jutta Leerdam (24) won bronze with 37.54, her first World Cup medal ever in the 500 meters.