Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer chosen for Olympic team

Mar 3, 2019; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Sven Kramer of Netherlands celebrates on the podium during the 2019 ISU World Allround Speed Skating Championships at Olympic Oval. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer will compete in Beijing after being hand-picked by the Dutch speed skating federation.

This will be the fifth Olympics for Kramer, 35, who has won three consecutive gold medals in the 5000m. The nine-time Olympic medalist also won gold in the team pursuit in Sochi 2014.

Kramer will compete in the 5000m, team pursuit and mass start in Beijing.

His spot in Beijing was far from secure after placing third in the 5000m during Olympic trials, but the selection committee chose Kramer due to his past performances in the event.

The Dutch federation created a matrix before the trials, to rank each skater by their medal chances in each event. Had they picked the nine-man team directly from the matrix, Kramer would’ve missed out by one spot. Marcel Bosker, who finished fourth in the 5000m, will pair with Kramer for the team pursuit.

Speed Skating – ISU World Cup Speed Skating Series – Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland – November 14, 2021 Netherlands’ Ireen Wust in action during the 1500m Women Division A REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel

The Dutch federation stuck to the matrix when selecting their women’s team. Ireen Wüst, the most accomplished Dutch Winter Olympian ever with 11 medals, will compete in her fifth and final Olympic Games.

She was second in the 1500m and third in the 1000m trials. She was also chosen for the team pursuit. Wüst is the youngest Dutch Olympic gold medalist in Olympic history, having won the first of her five gold medals in the 3000m in Turin 2016 at the age of 19.