The return to the Olympic track in Beijing turned out to be a deception for Irene Schouten. The skater from Hoogkarspel was the Winter Queen of Beijing at the beginning of last year, but could not match that form during the World Cup competition. Schouten finished eighth in the 3,000 meters.
Schouten rode the 3,000 meters in Beijing in a time of 4 minutes, 10 seconds and 62 hundredths. At the beginning of 2022, the North Holland native grabbed Olympic gold at that distance and on that track. Schouten was then more than fourteen seconds faster (3.56.93).
“I didn’t skate well earlier this week either,” Schouten says about her disappointing ride. “These times are just really terrible. Maybe I have more difficulty with a long journey.”
Joy Beune was the fastest Dutch in the 3,000 meters. With a time of 4:06.62 she finished fourth. Norway’s Ragne Wiklund took victory in Beijing in 4:03.41. In the B group, however, Marijke Groenewoud was much faster than Wiklund. The Dutch won there in 3.59.34.