Eight months after winning Olympic gold in the 1,500 metres in Milan, Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong was preparing to start a new skating season. The 31-year-old Dutch skater said she had continued training through the summer and still believed she could improve, despite considering the Olympic victory a high point in her career. She was due to open the season in the 1,500 metres at Thialf, where she is the reigning Olympic champion.

Rijpma-de Jong also said she wanted to compete in track cycling at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, aiming for the team pursuit. She had hoped to ride at the recent world championships but did not do so because the skating season was beginning. She said she needed time on the track and had not yet decided whether that would affect her skating plans next year or lead her to miss the full season. She said it was too early to consider retiring from either sport.