Nils van der Poel lashed out at the Dutch skating association in Beijing this afternoon. In a press conference of the Swedish team, he discussed the attempts of ‘TeamNL’ to influence the Canadian ice master on duty Mark Messer. “This is corruption.”
Van der Poel received a question about an article on skates.nl from four days ago. In it, sports scientist Sander van Ginkel, a member of the Dutch team, talks behind the scenes every day to lobby for ideal ice conditions for ‘the Dutch drivers’.
I wonder what the ISU will do about this
The ‘number man’ continuously carries out measurements on the ice. He says: ,,By showing how I arrive at my measurement results, I hope to convince Messer and his people of my ideas. In this way I contribute to the possible successes. By naming things and continuing to insist on adjustments that are in our favor, we can achieve something more.”
Texts that went wrong with Van der Poel. He said he had already read the article. ,,I have great respect for the Dutch skaters. I wouldn’t be here without them. They push me. I also respect the team of ice masters. But we need to talk about the fairness of our sport. This is corruption, and atrocity. This is trying to change the conditions of the match in an unethical and morally wrong way.”
Maurits Hendriks
And he went further: ,,This is the biggest scandal in our sport. And we occasionally have doping cases. This is no less serious. I mean: you can’t suspend the KNSB for four years. But I am curious what the ISU will do about this.”
Technical director of NOC*NSF Maurits Hendriks responded briefly to Van der Poel’s big words in the short track stadium. “We have been measuring ice conditions for twenty years. And we will do that for the next twenty years. It is part of our professional organization in speed skating. And contact with the ice master is always there. Not just through the Netherlands. But that is not an attempt to influence.”
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