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The 2026/27 skating season is about to begin, with five weekends scheduled at Thialf. The calendar includes World Cup Qualifiers next weekend and the World Cup Distances at the end of February. Skaters listed for the season include Femke Kok, Joy Beune, Jenning de Boo and Kjeld Nuis.
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Joy Beune and Pien Hersman, teammates at Team X2O Bathrooms, said their friendship began in 2023 when Hersman knocked on Beune’s hotel-room door. Although the first conversation was somewhat uncomfortable, Beune immediately felt they would get along well. The two speed skaters are now close friends and are preparing for the new skating season. The World Cup Qualification Tournament is due to start in about a week, and they hope to begin the season well and travel the world together.
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Marijke Groenewoud, 27, said she is shifting more of her focus back to marathon skating, which she described as her first discipline, with enjoyment taking priority. The skater from Grou had originally competed as a marathon skater.