Individual success at home was lacking for the Dutch team, but on the relay the women always stand their ground. On Sunday too, after setbacks, they managed to take gold on the relay for the third time. Xandra Velzeboer was at the centre of it all. After being narrowly eliminated in the 1000 metres, she definitely threw away gold on the mixed relay. Thus, the Dutch harvest remained pretty meagre in Ahoy.
“Disappointments and eventually a victory,” Velzeboer dryly summed up the Sunday of the Rotterdam speed skating spectacle. In the 1000 metres, she was on course for a place in the final, but was eliminated at the last minute. “A stupid mistake in the last corner, which was crucial,” she told. There was no time to grieve, as gold was again up for grabs for the orange brigade in the mixed relay. The Dutch team has never lost since the introduction of this event as a World Cup event.
That streak came to an end at home. Again it was Velzeboer who became the schlemiel. In leading position, she slipped down with a few laps to go. “I thought that sucked even more than my own 1,000 metres,” she said. “That came on top of it, we were in golden position and we could really drive it home. Felt so stupid for the team, I hardly ever fall…”
