Skater Femke Kok absent for an indefinite period due to virus infection, misses WCKT

This article was last updated on October 31, 2024

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Skater Kok absent for an indefinite period due to virus infection, misses WCKT

Skater Femke Kok misses the qualifying tournament for the World Cup competitions (WCKT). The sprinter is struggling with a viral infection and is sidelined for an indefinite period. Her team Team Reggeborgh announced this.

“This is really disappointing,” says Kok, world champion in the 500 meters. “It went very well this summer. I was able to make great progress again. And now that the season is about to start, the WCKT has been canceled for me.”

No strenuous efforts

Reggeborgh team doctor Karin Top reports on the skating team’s website that Kok has the CMV virus, which means she cannot do strenuous exercise.

“Just like mononucleosis, this long-lasting virus is accompanied by complaints of fatigue,” says Top. It is not yet clear when Kok will return to the competition circuit. “That cannot be predicted,” the doctor explains.

Femke Kok’s coach about absent sprinter: ‘Only allowed to train very lightly’

The WCKT is the tournament where Dutch skaters can qualify for the World Cup competitions that are held throughout the winter. If a skater misses that qualifying tournament, a skater will miss many competitions.

The KNSB can always appoint skaters specifically for a place during World Cup competitions. The fact that Kok misses the WCKT does not mean that she will not participate in any World Cup competitions at all. Last year Kok won all national races over 500 meters. In March she won the world title in the 500 meters.

No World Cups in Nagano and Beijing

In any case, Kok will also miss the first two World Cups in Nagano (Japan) and Beijing (China), says her coach Dennis van der Gun.

“She has only been wearing it for a few weeks,” Van der Gun explains in Heerenveen. “She suffered from it a bit during training and we had it investigated. Now she is only allowed to train very lightly. It looks a bit like glandular fever. You are not deathly ill. She gets tired very quickly and cannot handle much.”

Are they worried in the team, almost a year and a half before the Olympic Games start in Milan? “A bit of course. If you break your leg you know: you will be out for a few weeks. Now you don’t know whether it is a matter of a few weeks or whether it will take longer. We live day by day, we see how we can deal with it now.”

Cook is disappointed and the coach is disappointed. Because they noticed with Reggeborgh: “She is terribly good, has trained very hard and she is better than ever.”