(Beijing) Halfway through the 10,000 meter long track speed skating event on Friday at the Beijing Olympics, Canadian Ted-Jan Bloeman waved to his coach Bart Schouten. His race was over.
Posted at 5:31 a.m.
Updated at 9:46 a.m.
The reigning Olympic champion in this distance still held the third position at this time, but he was running out of energy. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get a medal.
The 35-year-old from Calgary eventually finished eighth in the event that made him a national hero four years ago in PyeongChang. In Beijing, it was a virus unrelated to COVID-19 that he dragged around for almost a month that came to slow him down.
Knowing he had nothing left in the tank, he slowed down to 12and of 25 rounds.
PHOTO WANG ZHAO, FRANCE-PRESSE AGENCY
Nils van der Poel
“I tried to lower my lap time a few times but I couldn’t keep up the pace,” Bloemen said. I had to push too hard to do those fast laps. So I chose to spare myself a bit in order to have more energy for the team pursuit, which starts in two days. »
Bloemen was also not kind to the organizers regarding the short time between the two events.
“I don’t know who made the schedule, but it’s ridiculous,” he said. You can’t recover in time for the pursuit two days after giving everything in the 10,000m. Countries not represented in the 10,000m have a real advantage in the team pursuit. »
Bloemen crossed the finish line in 13 minutes, 1.39 seconds, well behind Sweden’s Nils van der Poel, who smashed his own world record in 12:30.74. The other Canadian in the running, Graeme Fish, finished sixth in 12:58.80 in his first Olympic experience.
“I think it sounds like a lot that Ted was sick,” Coach Schouten said. We clearly saw that 5,000 m or 10,000 m was too long for him.
“He’s not in good enough physical shape. It hurt him a lot to be sick so close to the Olympics. He did not have time to fully recover. »
Fish has also been sick recently. The 24-year-old Saskatchewan man contracted COVID-19 two months ago while competing in Norway. He did not participate in any other international event before flying to Beijing.
PHOTO PAUL CHIASSON, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Graeme Fish
“It’s the best I could have done today. Two months ago I had COVID-19,” recalled Fish, who was kept off the ice for a month.
“I had a bit of difficulty getting back to my usual level. (But) I had fun on the ice. I’m at the Olympics, it’s a dream come true. »
Bloemen skated in the last pair of the evening. He was warming up near the finish line when the Swedish champion extended his leg so his skate crossed the line. The Canadian applauded Van der Poel’s performance, before giving him a high five.
Van der Poel edged Dutchman Patrick Roest by 13.85 seconds (12:44.59). Italian Davide Ghiotto (12:45.98) completed the podium.
The Swede won the gold medal in the 5000m event, presented on Sunday. Roest had also won the silver medal.
Bloemen had struggled in the 5,000m, finishing 10and.
The Canadian said he received several negative test results for COVID-19. He thinks he has contracted a form of flu.
Although he finished far from the podium on Friday, the Albertan gave everything on the ice. As usual, he threw up, which he says is a good sign.
“If I don’t vomit after a race, that means I haven’t given it my all. So I’m glad I threw up, he joked.
“I love pain and I love skating. For me, the more time I can spend skating, the more fun I have. That’s what motivates me. »
Bloemen became the second Canadian to win a gold medal in long track speed skating in an individual distance, in PyeongChang in 2018, when he upset Dutchman Sven Kramer in the 10,000m.
Connor Howe and Jordan Belchos will partner Bloemen in the team pursuit event, which begins Sunday with the quarterfinals.