Her role model is the most successful Olympian from the Netherlands ever: Ireen Wüst. To reach the level of the multiple champion, Lotte Groenen still has to take very big steps as a skater. In any case, the nineteen-year-old from Tilburg is developing excellently on the ice. “Ireen Wüst gave me some training at the beginning of this season together with the national coach. That was very cool.”
Lotte is in her last year with the juniors and wants to gain as much experience as possible. Also among the seniors, as evidenced by her participation last weekend in the 500 meters at the National Championships distances. “Last year I made my debut, but this year it was special again. When you walk into the center court before your ride, you see all those people in the stands, the many cameras from the press and there is loud music. Very cool, that is never the case in other competitions. Besides, I can handle it well, it doesn’t add any extra pressure.”
“Just because I look at them closely doesn’t mean I’m afraid.”
The presence of all Dutch world top athletes did not ensure that Lotte was at the start with weak knees. “You are on location a few days early for a tournament. You train on the track together with all the good skaters. When I see the top skaters driving around, I know what level I want to go to. They skate so beautifully, they are technical so good. But just because I look at them closely doesn’t mean I’m afraid.”
She did not play a significant role in the 500 meters, as she finished nineteenth. She did, however, set a personal record of 39.49. “I see it purely as a very beautiful experience. You want to perform as well as possible in front of so many spectators. It went satisfactorily and I needed that, because I have been searching for the right form lately.”
“A nice combination of speed and content.”
Next weekend, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 January, she will be back on the ice at Thialf, but then at the National Allround Championships for juniors. A tournament that has been in bold print in the agenda of the skater of KNSB Talent Team South for some time now. “I’m a fan of all-round. It’s a bit of everything, a nice combination of speed and content. You can also earn tickets for the World Cup, that’s a big goal.”
Lotte’s life now revolves around skating, skating and more skating. “Last year I was still in high school, but fortunately I completed it. This year I deliberately chose a gap year, because I want to fully focus on skating. I train six days a week, often twice a day. Often in Breda, sometimes at my Ice Club Tilburg, but I also sometimes visit Heerenveen or there is a foreign training camp on the program.”
“A dream to reach the absolute top.”
Gianni Romme and Ireen Wüst have proven that Brabant can produce good skaters. Lotte wants to do everything she can to put her name in the history books. “Of course it is a dream to reach the absolute top. I realize that it is a very small world and that it is reserved for only a few skaters. Every day I do my utmost to get as much out of it as possible.”