© AFP
Bart Swings finished eighth in the 1,500 meters on the third and final day of the European Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The European title surprisingly went to the Norwegian Peder Kongshaug. Swings will soon defend his European title at the mass start at 5:29 PM.
Maarten Delvaux in Heerenveen
Today at 5:26 PM
Surprise in the men’s 1,500 meters in Heerenveen. For the first time at this European Championship, an individual skating event was not won by a Dutchman. It was the 22-year-old strong Norwegian Peder Kongshaug who won the title. He made it in 1:44.25 and was nine and fifteen hundredths ahead of the Dutch Kjeld Nuis and Patrick Roest. Bart Swings finished eighth. For our compatriot it is a warm-up for the mass start, which will be held later in the afternoon. Mathias Vosté finished thirteenth.
Jutta Leerdam remains supreme in the 1,000 meters, eighth place ahead of Van Elst
In the women’s 1,000 meters, the European title once again went to Jutta Leerdam. The hyperpopular Dutch woman had quite a bit of difficulty holding off compatriot Antoinette Rijpma-De Jong in the battle for gold. For Leerdam it is the third European title in a row in the 1,000 meters. She is also the reigning world champion. After her sixth place in the 1,500 meters, our compatriot Isabelle Van Elst (a Dutch woman with a Belgian father) now also finished eighth in the 1,000 meters. Results that open perspectives for the future. Fran Vanhoutte finished thirteenth. The 20-year-old West Flemish woman crashed just before the finish, but still improved her personal record while sliding on her stomach.
After Leerdam, there was also Dutch success in the men’s 500 meters. The new rising star Jenning de Boo took his first European title, ahead of Estonian Marten Liiv.
Great performances by Belgian women in the mass start
At the women’s mass start, Marijke Groenewoud, together with the German Uhrig, surprised the pack with a long escape. The European champion in the 3,000 meters actually held out. Compatriot and top favorite Irene Schouten sprinted supreme behind Groenewoud to silver. The Belgian women Sandrine Tas and Fran Vanhoutte finished fifth and eighth.
Reparation for Dutch team pursuit
The last European Championship day in a sold-out Thialf started as the second day had ended: with Dutch gold. In the women’s team pursuit, there was no limit to the strong trio Beune-Schouten-Groenewoud. A relief for Dutch ladies, who lost the world title in the same stadium a year ago after Beune had not put on her ankle socks properly. When Beune forgot her transponder during a World Cup a few weeks ago and the Dutch team was disqualified as a result, she was the target of our northern neighbors. With this European title, Beune partly makes up for her blunders.
© REUTERS