NOS Schaatsen•vandaag, 21:09
Stolz also races to victory over 1,500 meters in Quebec, Dijs and Krol fall short
Jordan Stolz is also unstoppable at the last World Cup of the skating season. Two weeks before the World Championship distances, the 19-year-old American raced to victory in the 1,500 meters in Quebec. The Dutch Wesly Dijs and Thomas Krol were half a second short of the podium.
On Friday, Stolz, who sensationally set the world record for the 1,000 meters last week, also won the kilometer.
Later tonight, Stolz will be in action in the 500 meters. The young American is also the favorite at that distance. Last week he won both the 1,500 and 500 meters in one day in Salt Lake City.
Watch live at NOS
The World Cup in Quebec can be followed live all weekend on NOS, on television (NPO 3) or via this stream.
Although it was Stolz’s third World Cup victory of the season in the 1,500 meters, he missed out on the overall victory in the World Cup classification. That honor – and a cash prize of almost 15,000 euros – went to Zhongyan Ning, who finished second, 0.78 seconds behind Stolz.
The Chinese did not win a single 1,500 meters this season, but unlike Stolz, he did win all the World Cups. It is such a lucrative weekend for Ning, because he also won the classification over 1,000 meters yesterday – even without winning a World Cup.
Track record Stolz, Dijs fifth
Stolz was paired with Ning in his ride. The American started excellently and was able to take full advantage of the Chinese at the first intersection. Ning was faster in the intermediate round, but Stolz had a better final shot and with 1.44.01 he skated the track record in the only two and a half year old ice stadium.
Canadian Connor Howe rode to bronze, but was 1.72 seconds slower than Stolz.
Wesly Dijs, who won bronze last week in Salt Lake, finished in fifth place with 1.46.25.
ANPWesly Dijs
Two-time world champion Thomas Krol did not qualify for the World Championship distances after a disappointing season, but was allowed to ride another 1,500 meters in Quebec.
Krol started well, but in the last two laps his lap times increased too quickly. With 1.46.26 he was only one hundredth slower than Dijs and finished sixth.
Will Krol still be a professional skater next year?
“I did what I could, there was no more possible. I can be satisfied myself, but a gap of 2.2 seconds to the winner is much too big,” Krol responded resignedly.
Will Krol still be a professional skater next year? ‘I keep all options open’
Krol (31) has not won a competition after the 2021/2022 Olympic season. He has never hidden his dream of becoming a pilot after his career. His contract with Jumbo-Visma expires, which raises the question of whether Krol will still be a professional skater next year.
“It is no secret that I have a very big ambition to fly. But I also have the ambition to defend my Olympic title. I must also be honest: I am not driving around to finish sixth, eighth or ninth in the World Cup. think carefully about.”
“It is not tactical to say or think much about it now, because I would like to end the season on a good note. I am keeping all options open.”
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Skating program Saturday February 3
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Skating program Sunday February 4
Krol got a chance because Olympic champion Kjeld Nuis withdrew from the entire World Cup weekend after his crash last week.
Patrick Roest, who won European Championship bronze in the 1,500 meters at the beginning of this year, will not be skating in Quebec this weekend either. He is already focusing on the World Cup distances.
Many Dutch top players absent
The list of missing Dutch top skaters was already considerable, but became even longer on Saturday. Tim Prins, who competed in the 1,000 meters yesterday, did not feel fit and decided not to race the 1,500 meters on Saturday.
Jenning de Boo canceled the 1,000 meters on Friday with a fever. He hoped to be able to skate the second 500 meters of this weekend on Sunday, but has now decided not to do so.
World Championship distances in two weeks
The skaters hope to be fit again soon so that they can optimally prepare for the World Championship distances, which will be held from February 15 to 18 on the other side of Canada, in Calgary.
The result of the 1,500 meters was also important for the number of starting tickets for the Dutch men at the World All-round Championships. The time of Beau Snellink, who started earlier in the day in the B group, was crucial.
Snellink, who was used by the KNSB skating association as an asset to win the third ticket, drove to 1.48.98. That was enough for a starting ticket, after his time yesterday in the 5,000 meters. At the end of February, the NK all-round will determine who, in addition to Patrick Roest, can go to the World Championships in Inzell.
2024-02-03 20:09:26
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