Pictures from Ice Speedskating

Hi everybody,

The new speedskating season has arrived! Although all the skaters have been busy with training, time trials and selection competitions, I have not seen any ice or skating since march. It has been a nice a quiet summer and I was very busy with my other career and a new study. This also means, I will take it a little bit easier this next skating season, but of course I went to the Dutch Nationals, last weekend in Thialf Heerenveen.

This was the first event with the new dutch sponsor, KPN and it was a little bit weird to see all the green in Thialf. For a moment, I thought they would have changed the whole of Thialf, like a green warm up lane and green cushions, but luckily they stayed blue.

I haven't touched my camera for a while either, so it was a little bit warming up to the speed skating again. Below you can find some pictures which I think are really nice. You can find more on the pages Day 1 Day 2 and Day 3 and all the pictures together in the slideshow.

Koen Verweij racing the 5.000 meter

Allard Neijmeijer racing the a new personal best in the 1.000 meter

Lisette van der Geest racing in the 3.000 meter event

Marrit Leenstra got a very succesfull weekend, with bronze in the 500m,
gold in the 1.000m and silver in the 3.000m & 1.500m

Ireen Wust, racing to gold in the 3.000 meter

Carlijn Achtereekte, Hollands hope for the future in the long distances

Marije Joling, from the Region Drenthe skated to two world cup tickets.

Jorien Voorhuis skating in the 1.500 meter

Frank Hermans, last year a junior, now skating for Region West,
skated to a new personal best in the 1.500 meter

Pim Cazemier skating for Hofmeijer Team

Simon Kuipers, racing for TVM, racing the 1.500 meters in 1.44,89 and gold

After the 1.500m on sunday, I went home as I wasn't feeling too well. I'm also looking very much forward to next weekend, when the whole international skating community will race in Heerenveen for the first world cup of the new season 2010-2011. Unfortunatly, there is a lot of commotion regarding the new ISU rule, where you are no longer allowed to cross the line on the finish straight with your whole skate. There have been numerous DQ's because of this rule and it's unevitably that there will be more. The rules has been dubbed "Dr. Bibber-rule" by Dutch Olympic Champion Mark Tuitert and all skaters and fans have been asked to protest against this new rule. You can find more information online on:

http://www.drbibber.tk/

Here you can sign an online petition that will be sent to the ISU aswell as the mailadress for sending a letter to the ISU yourself. Furthermore, there are more actions expected, so visit this site!! Thank you all, and till next weekend.

Naomi Schläger