Xandra Velzeboer again takes World Tour gold at 500 meters, silver for the Dutch team on mixed relay

This article was last updated on November 4, 2024

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Xandra Velzeboer again takes World Tour gold at 500 meters, silver for the Dutch team on mixed relay

Just like a week ago, short track star Xandra Velzeboer won World Tour gold in Montreal in the 500 meters. In a strong final she was unapproachable. Silver and bronze went to South Korea’s Minjeong Choi and Gilli Kim.

Short track star Velzeboer takes World Tour gold again at 500 meters in Montreal

The gold for Velzeboer was already her third victory this World Cup season, after she had already won the 500 meters and the 1,000 meters in Montreal last weekend. Velzeboer won on Saturday silver in the 1,000 meters.

The 23-year-old Velzeboer has won a total of twelve World Cup victories in her career. Winning the shortest short track distance twice in a row this winter is impressive, especially considering the final in Montreal with Kristen Sanos-Griswold, Arianna Fontana and the two South Korean women.

Earlier in the evening, Xandra’s sister Michelle Velzeboer was stranded after a fall in the quarter-finals. Diede van Oorschot was already eliminated in the preliminary rounds on Friday.

Silver mixed relay

The Dutch short trackers started the last day of the World Tour competitions in Montreal with a silver medal. In the mixed relay, Sjinkie Knegt, Jens van ‘t Wout and Michelle and Xandra Velzeboer finished behind Canada. Japan took bronze.

Canadian short track speed skaters beat the Netherlands in mixed relay in Montreal

The Dutch Lions, as the Dutch team is called in the new design of the World Cup circuit, had set the fastest times in the quarter-finals and semi-finals on Friday and Saturday, but things went slightly less well in the final.

Canadian Florence Brunelle overtook Xandra Velzeboer a few laps before the end, after which Canada held the lead. Japan was already lagging far behind.

No Dutch in the final 1,000 and 1,500 meters

Furthermore, it was a difficult Sunday for the Dutch short rackers. The 1,500 meters ended somewhat disappointingly for the women. Xandra Velzeboer finished third in her semi-final race, not fast enough to advance to the A-final based on her time. She did win the B final.

19-year-old Zoe Deltrap crashed in the semi-finals and Michelle Velzeboer had skipped the repechages earlier in the day to concentrate on the mixed relay.

Van ‘t Wout was not convincing in the men’s 1,000 meters. The winner of the kilometer during the first World Tour weekend did not qualify for the final battle. In his semi-final, a finish photo showed that he had just pushed his skate across the line in third place. Daan Kos stranded in the quarter-finals earlier in the day.

Short track speed skaters cannot compete with fast Canadians on the World Tour relay

The second World Cup weekend was concluded by Itzhak de Laat, Friso Emons, Knegt and Van ‘t Wout, who finished fourth in a strong final behind Canada (gold), South Korea (silver) and Italy (bronze).

The Dutch men competed well for a large part of the race, but were unable to keep up with the fast Canadians in the closing laps. Including by the strong Canadian Wiliam Dandjinou.

The World Tour short track continues next month on December 7 with the third weekend in Beijing.