HEERENVEEN, Netherlands - The World Cup Speed SkATING finals held at the renowned Thialf Ice Arena on March 1, 2025, culminated with mixed results for the Belgian skaters, particularly Bart Swings and Mathias Vosté. Swings, who entered the mass start race as the second-ranked skater, unfortunately, could not secure a podium finish, placing tenth overall and missing the final standings from the top three contenders.
During the event, Swings started strong, gathering points at the second intermediate sprint. Yet, he missed the opportunity to latch onto the leading pack, which was instrumental for success. His fellow competitor, Indra Médard, managed to reach the top five, finishing fifth and demonstrating his potential against formidable opponents. Meanwhile, Italian skater Andrea Giovannini clinched victory not only for the day but also secured overall domination of the World Cup series with 270 points.
Bart Swings, with 246 points, slipped from potential podium placement to finish fourth, falling short behind his rivals: Giovannini, Bart Hoolwerf of the Netherlands, and French skater Timothy Loubineaud.
Mathias Vosté, age 30, recorded one of the notable performances of the day, finishing sixth on the 1,000 meters with a time of 1'08"27. Local hero Jenning De Boo won the 1,000 meters race for the Dutch crowd, clocking in at 1'07"45. With his performance, Vosté continues to demonstrate promise, highlighting his improvement over earlier events this season.
Meanwhile, unlikely outcomes emerged on the 5,000 meters where Swings encountered considerable difficulty. Tied to Canadian skater Ted-Jan Bloemen, he finished as the last competitor with a time of 6'20"68, the slowest time of the day. Bloemen, though performing significantly faster, took seventh place with 6'14"35, emphasizing the competitive nature of the race. Dutch skater Chris Huizinga crossed the line first, finishing at 6'08"07, second to Sander Eitrem.
Adding to his challenges, Swings chose to withdraw from the 1,500 meters, with worries about his knee, as reported by Erik Bouwman, his coach. “He has bit of trouble with his knee,” Bouwman explained, emphasizing the decision to avoid taking unnecessary risks at this stage of the competition.
Despite setbacks, Swings's previous high performance still secures his place as 2025's one of the top competitors, leaving him room to bounce back. Meanwhile, young talent Mathias Vosté’s sixth-place finish reflects his high ambitions and commitment to enhancing his skill set as the season progresses.
The opening day results had performances from other Belgian athletes, including Isabelle Van Elst, who placed 14th during the 500-meter race and others who competed strongly across divisions. French skater Sandrine Tas showed commendable efforts on the 3,000 meters, finishing sixth with 4'09"65.
The future of speed skating continues to be bright as these athletes prepare for upcoming events, drawing motivation from their performances and potential improvements. With new talents on display alongside established veterans, the competition remains fierce and engaging for fans worldwide.