Marijke Groenewoud wins women's mass‑start gold as Bergsma's attack sparks TeamNL surge
marijke groenewoud captured the women's mass‑start gold after advancing through her semifinal and finishing the final with a calm, controlled sprint. The victory followed a dramatic solo win in the men's mass‑start and together the two results pushed the Dutch team to ten gold medals at these Winter Games.
Marijke Groenewoud's road to the title
Marijke Groenewoud advanced to the mass‑start final without notable trouble, navigating a semifinal that included several strong medal candidates. She raced alongside contenders who showed early intent in the heats, and she collected points in the intermediate sprints that mattered for qualification. In the final she timed her effort to perfection, taking the finish line first after a closing sprint in which she crossed the line with two hands placed behind her back, a clear sign she had secured the win.
Bergsma's early attack decided the men's mass‑start
In the men's event an early, sustained attack proved decisive. A 40‑year‑old skater opened a long breakaway with a fellow escapee from Denmark and finished solo after dropping his companion with a few laps remaining. That rider took silver. The winner had already earned a bronze in the 10, 000 meters earlier at these Games, making this mass‑start triumph his second medal of the edition. A teammate in the chasing group played a specific tactical role by controlling rival moves and helping preserve the escape's advantage.
What the two victories mean for TeamNL
The combined outcomes in the men's and women's mass‑starts pushed the Dutch gold total to ten at these Games. The two wins came by different routes: a long, solo gamble in the men's race and a composed, points‑aware strategy culminating in a controlled sprint in the women's race. Those contrasting approaches underline the range of tactics producing podium results for the Dutch delegation.
Looking ahead, the immediate implication is a strengthened medal position for the team; if similar tactical clarity and support roles continue in forthcoming races, the gold tally could increase. Specific remaining events and schedules were not listed here, so further changes to the medal count are not detailed at this time.
Key on‑ice contributions were visible: the men's winner accumulated crucial intermediate points in his semifinal to secure a place in the final, and a domestique‑style effort in the final helped neutralize counterattacks. On the women's side, Groenewoud handled a semifinal stacked with top contenders, collected needed sprint points, and executed a composed final sprint to seal the title.
