◆2 sources
American speed skater Jordan Stolz will not compete in the opening World Cup event in Beijing. He said he did not want to travel to China twice in one season and felt he was currently too heavy because of a changed diet.
13 sources
The World Cup qualifying tournament in Thialf allocated Dutch places for the opening four World Cup meetings. Joy Beune won the women’s 1,500 metres ahead of Marijke Groenewoud and Gioya Lancee, while Groenewoud won both the 3,000 and 5,000 metres. Femke Kok won both 500-metre races, but Angel Daleman beat her to win the 1,000 metres in a personal best of 1:13.49. Groenewoud also won the mass start under its new elimination format. Lancee secured World Cup places in the 1,500 and 3,000 metres, and Merel Conijn qualified in the 1,500, 3,000 and 5,000 metres. Kjeld Nuis won the men’s 1,500 metres in 1:45.35, narrowly ahead of Joep Wennemars, with Serge Yoro third. On the 1,000 metres, Jenning de Boo, Kayo Vos and Wennemars finished ahead of Yoro; Tim Prins took the fifth and final qualifying place by 0.01 seconds over Nuis. Jasper Krommenhoek won the men’s 10,000 metres, while a single report said he and Clare Slendebroek also qualified for the 5,000 metres. The tournament also introduced a rule under which the winning men’s team-pursuit formation, rather than a national-coach selection, qualifies for the first two World Cups.