Supreme Schulting conquers European title at 500 and 1,500 meters | To skate

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Jan 14, 2023 at 3:21 PMUpdate: 3 minutes ago

Suzanne Schulting won gold in the 500 and 1,500 meters at the European Short Track Speed ​​Skating Championships in the Polish city of Gdansk on Saturday. Jens van ‘t Wout was also crowned European champion in the 1,500 meters and can still take gold in the shortest distance.

The 25-year-old Schulting was supreme in the final of the 500 meters. She immediately took the lead and skillfully kept the Polish home favorite Natalia Maliszewska behind her. Italy’s Arianna Valcepina finished third.

Schulting took her third European title in the 500 meters, after previous success in 2020 and 2021. She was second in that number a year ago at the Beijing Olympics.

Xandra Velzeboer was previously the main competitor for Schulting in the 500 meters in Gdansk, but things went wrong for the world champion on Friday. She was disqualified due to a false start in the qualifying round. Yara van Kerkhof was sentenced to the B-final after a crash.

An hour and a half earlier, Schulting was already in a class of his own in the 1,500 meters. She took the lead seven laps before the end and she didn’t relinquish it. The Belgian Hanne Desmet came close at the finish, but had to give in and took silver. The German Anne Seidel was third.

For Schulting, it is her eleventh gold European Championship medal in total and her fourth in a row in the 1,500 meters. De Friezin also won the final classification in the previous three editions. The all-round title has been abolished. From now on, medals will only be awarded per distance. Schulting can also take gold in the 1,000 meters and the relay.

Jens van ‘t Wout crossed the line just before Stijn Desmet.Photo: Getty Images

Van ‘t Wout conquers gold at 1,500 meters

In the men’s 1,500 meters, Van ‘t Wout spectacularly took his first gold medal at an international title tournament. The Dutchman seemed to be second behind Stijn Desmet, but he crossed the finish line just a little earlier than the Belgian. Friso Emons took the bronze.

Van ‘t Wout made his breakthrough in international short track this season. The Dutchman, who was eliminated in the series in the 500 and 1,000 meters at the Olympic Games in Beijing last year, won three World Cup competitions this season. It was his first senior race. Van ‘t Wout is still in action in the final of the 500 meters.

Velzeboer and Selma Poutsma missed the final of the 1,500 meters. Although Velzeboer finished second in her semi-final, she was disqualified because she had dealt a beech to Seidel. Poutsma fell. She later won the B final.

Itzhak de Laat also did not make it to the final battle of the 1,500 meters. In the last corner before the finish he was hit, which caused him to lose several places as number two. He was not given a ticket for the final by the jury.

Sjinkie Knegt is a notable absentee at the European Championships in Gdansk, which lasts until Sunday. The experienced Frisian recently drove a dramatic Dutch Championship, where the European Championship tickets were distributed. He still hoped for a point of reference, but did not get it from the KNSB.

Xandra Velzeboer was also disqualified in the 1,500 meters and therefore has a bad European Championship. Photo: Getty Images

Beeld: Getty Images

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EK short track Short track Suzanne Schulting

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