By Sakura Murakami
BEIJING (Reuters) – Dutchwoman Irene Schouten is seeking to earn another speed skating gold, this time in the women’s 5,000 metres on Thursday, as the Dutch team maintains its medal-winning streak in the sport at the Beijing Olympics.
If she claims the top spot on the podium, she will add her name to a list of skating greats including German Claudia Pechstein to win a double gold in the 3000 metres and 5000 metres in the same year.
The 29-year-old stands at the start line fresh off a resounding victory in the 3000 metres race that saw her set a new Olympic record for the first time in 20 years.
Her win on Saturday that brought the Dutch team their first speed skating medal may also add to the pressure she has struggled with as one of the major medal favourites from the Netherlands.
“This morning I thought maybe it was better if I didn’t do so well at the beginning of this season. But I said to myself, ‘Keep pushing, do your best, we will see.’ That (mindset) helped me,” she said after winning the 3000 metres gold.
The Dutch team have already won half of the medals that have been up for grabs in speed skating and appear to be on track to hit their target of 20 medals overall.
Canada’s Isabelle Weidemann, who took bronze in the 3000 metres, will again be racing against Schouten – this time in hopes of claiming the top spot for herself.
“I am excited to get the first one (first distance) out of the way. I was quite nervous for today… I am happy and feel a little more at ease now. I am looking forward to the next few distances,” she said after her 3000 metres race.
Still, Schouten is a formidable rival, as the reigning champion of the World Single Distance Championships and holder of the season’s best time at six minutes and 45.69. Weidemann has the second best time but clocks in over a second behind with 6:46.81.
Schouten broke Pechstein’s Olympic record on Saturday and a string of new records have been set at the National Speed Skating Oval, and it remains to be seen if the Dutchwoman notches up another record when she crosses the finish line on Thursday.
(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
