Irene Schouten takes third world title in mass start despite fall

Speed skater Irene Schouten could hardly believe it after a chaotic race in the mass start at the long-distance world championships in Calgary. She crashed, was far behind, came back, and still won the sprint. "Not normal, really!" she told NOS. She won the sprint ahead of Canadian Ivanie Blondin and her compatriot and teammate Marijke Groenewoud.

"I thought I'd stay calm, I've been through this before," the three-time Olympic champion said about her fall. "I think it was a technical mistake because I was the only one to fall. But I also thought, okay, this is the mass start, anything can happen. But you have to keep calm. I could ride like a madman, but then you blow yourself up."

Schouten was able to return to the pack halfway through the 16-lap race, with some hesitation. "If I drop out, those on the field don't know what to do," she said, before thanking her teammate. "Thanks to Marijke, we won gold. She attacked when I joined her. I know that I can recover well during a race. I was confident and knew that the pace was right. I have enough in the tank to ride this sprint well."

It is the third world title in this event for the 31-year-old from Noord-Holland. She was previously the best in the world in 2015 and 2019. It is also her third world title at this World Championship in Calgary. Last Thursday she won the world title in the 3000 meters for the first time. A day later she became world champion in the team pursuit for the second time, now with Groenewoud and Joy Beune. Schouten can still win the fourth world title on Sunday. She will compete in the 5000 meters on the final day of the World Championships, where she is the defending champion.