Dutch speedskaters lead public support as Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics open
As the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo got underway Friday night, a new nationwide panel survey showed Dutch speedskaters dominating public support at the start of the Games. King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and Princess Amalia have already traveled to Italy to support the Dutch Olympic team.
The opening ceremony on Friday evening formally launched the Winter Games in northern Italy. The Netherlands entered the Olympics with high expectations following a strong performance at the 2022 Beijing Games, while attention among fans at home has centered largely on the women competing in speedskating events.
Polling by the Hart van Nederland panel, based on responses from 3,876 participants, identified speedskater Femke Kok as the most popular Dutch athlete at the Games, supported by 21 percent of respondents. Jutta Leerdam followed closely with 20 percent, while Suzanne Schulting ranked third at 13 percent.
The survey also pointed to personal ties among top-ranked athletes. Two couples appeared within the five most popular competitors: Suzanne Schulting and speedskater Joep Wennemars, and Joy Beune and Kjeld Nuis. Nuis received support from 13 percent of respondents, Beune from 12 percent and Wennemars also from 12 percent.
Other frequently cited athletes included Jenning de Boo, short-track skater Xandra Velzeboer, Marijke Groenewoud and Antoinette Rijpma-de Jong.
Respondents were also asked about medal expectations. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, the Netherlands won 17 medals and finished sixth in the medal standings. In the new survey, 45 percent said they expect the Dutch team to match that total in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, while 23 percent believe the team will win more medals than in Beijing.
