Angel Daleman chases World Cup success in Beijing
A photo session on the Olympic ice in Beijing preceded the opening World Cup weekend for teenage speed skater Angel Daleman, who arrived in China following a breakthrough performance.
The 1,000-meter event begins on Friday without several dominant names who previously controlled the distance, nos.nl reported. Daleman secured a personal record of 1,13.49 on the same distance two weeks prior in Thialf, defeating competitors that included Olympic silver medalist Femke Kok.
“It gave a wonderful confirmation of the feeling that I have had for a longer time, namely that it is going very well,” Daleman told nos.nl.
The 19-year-old athlete said that the recent result brought relief after the previous season failed to yield identical outcomes. Her performance also drew attention from her idol Jutta Leerdam, whom Daleman described as the queen of the 1,000 meters.
“Good job,” Leerdam responded on Instagram, according to nos.nl.
Open field at the Beijing oval
The absence of established international competitors creates a wide-open contest at the Beijing speed skating oval. Skaters such as Leerdam, Miho Takagi, and Brittany Bowe—who shared every world title and Olympic podium since 2019—are not competing this weekend.
Only two skaters from the top ten at the Milan Olympic Games appear on the starting list for the distance. That shift leaves the 1,000-meter category searching for new frontrunners.
“Yes, you can say that the field is fairly open,” Daleman told nos.nl. “It offers a bit more opportunities, but in my current form I would have liked to race against them as well.”
Preparation for national championships
Daleman views the current World Cup stop primarily as high-level training competition ahead of domestic tournaments. The schedule serves as preparation for the upcoming Dutch Sprint Championships and Dutch Distance Championships later in the year.
“These are mostly nice training competitions at a high level,” Daleman told nos.nl. “Taking a medal is always nice, but getting better is more important to me at the moment.”
Questions about the Beijing World Cup weekend
When does the World Cup weekend in Beijing start?
Competition on the Olympic ice in Beijing begins on Friday, featuring international distance events.
Who did Daleman defeat at Thialf?
Daleman won the 1,000-meter race in Thialf two weeks prior in a personal record time, beating competitors including Olympic silver medalist Femke Kok.
Which top skaters are absent in Beijing?
Jutta Leerdam, Miho Takagi, and Brittany Bowe are not participating in this weekend’s races, leaving only two skaters from the top ten of the Milan Olympic Games on the start list.
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