2018-2019 short track season recap: Netherlands

Here’s our 2018-2019 season recap for team Netherlands in short track speed skating.

By Jackob Savard

Photo: Schaats Foto’s

If the Dutch men’s team suffered from Sjinkie Knegt’s absence in the second half of the season, it would’ve been hard to ask more from the ladies’ team who established themselves as one of the best team in the world during this 2018-2019 season. Here’s our recap of their season.

Schulting crowned, van Ruijven 500m champion

The Dutch women's team excelled in the World cup events in 2018-2019. Suzanne Schulting led the team ending her season at the top of the World cup ranking on 1000m and 1500m and finishing 8th on 500m having raced the distance only two times out of seven. Her teammates Lara van Ruijven and Yara van Kerkhof respectively finished 3rd and 4th of the 500m ranking while Rianne de Vries ended the regular season at the 7th spot on 1000m. Adding to their good individual rankings, they managed to finish second in the relay classification. Their good season ended the right way in Sofia, Bulgaria at the World championships with the overall world champion title won by Suzanne Schulting and the 500m world champion title of Lara van Ruijven.

Gaining experience in Sjinkie's absence

Sjinkie Knegt’s absence in the second half of the season had a big impact on the men’s team. Having participated in only three World cups this season, Knegt still ended the season as the highest ranked Dutch skater in an individual distance finishing 7th on the 1500m World cup classification. In Knegt’s absence, Itzhak de Laat and Daan Breeuwsma had expanded responsibilities and other skaters such as Dennis Visser, Dylan Hoogerwerf, Friso Emons, Jasper Brunsmann, Melle van 't Wout and Niels Kingma had the chance to see more action and gain more experience. Their relay team ended its season in 4th place of the overall ranking. Itzhak de Laat was the best ranked men’s skater at World championships finishing 16th overall.

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