Proud parents of Heemsteedse Cornelius Kersten: “Wonder of wonders he was allowed to go to the Games”

It all started for Kersten about fifteen years ago on the ice rink in Haarlem. “I can still see him like this, as a little boy,” laughs his father Michiel Kersten on the ice rink in Haarlem. “He was about seven or eight years old. There was no roof yet and he stood in the pouring rain in a competition suit that was much too big. This was ultimately his cradle.”

But his path to the Games was not an easy one, according to his father. “Most skaters at that level have a team and receive a salary. They don’t have to worry about anything. But Cornelius had to earn it all himself. Through many selections he eventually ended up in the talent center of Noordwijk and from there grew into where he is now.”

‘He shot up like a rocket’

Years ago when more attention was paid to long track competitions in England, Kersten started skating for that country. In the Netherlands he could not reach the top. “He rode world cup times more and more often and came to international level. Miraculously, he shot up like a rocket and was allowed to go to the Games. It’s fantastic that he got there. I’m proud, but also very happy for him that he achieved this.”

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In addition to the van Kersten family, the rest of the region also sympathizes, according to his father. “We get the most wonderful apps from people we haven’t spoken to for years. Old friends and acquaintances sympathize and that is great fun. It certainly stands out.”

Last Tuesday Kersten finished nineteenth in the 1500 meters. Tomorrow he will drive the 500 meters and next Friday the 1000 meters. “And that is especially an important distance for him. It is very exciting for us. We can only hope and dream that he does well.”