Nederlandse 5000 meter hoop rust op vroege starters
Milaan, zondag, 8 februari 2026.
De Nederlandse schaatsploeg stapt zondag in Milaan aan voor de 5000 meter. Marcel Bosker en Stijn van de Bunt beginnen al in de eerste ritten. Die positie brengt druk mee. Internationale favoriet is de Noorse wereldrecordhouder Sander Eitrem. Hij reed in januari als eerste mens onder de zes minuten. De Nederlanders hebben dit seizoen geen grote successen behaald. Toch koesteren ze een kans op medaille. Van de Bunt won in december verrassend het olympisch kwalificatietoernooi. Ook Chris Huizinga komt in actie. Hij start in de zesde rit. Het evenement begint om 16.00 uur. Een mogelijke stunt hangt af van perfecte races.
dutch hopes rest on early starters
the dutch 5000 meter campaign begins with immediate pressure on marcel bosker and stijn van de bunt, both scheduled in the opening heats of the olympic event [1]. they face strong international competition led by norwegian sander eitrem, who set a world record of 5:58.52 in january 2026, becoming the first man to break the six-minute barrier [3]. chris huizinga completes the trio, starting in the sixth heat after the resurfacing pass [1]. despite lacking standout results this season, the team retains hope due to van de bunt’s surprise victory at the olympic qualification tournament in december 2025 [2].
follow-up to women’s near miss
the men’s effort comes on the heels of a narrow miss by the dutch women’s team on the 3000 meter, where joy beune finished fourth, just off the podium [4]. marijke groenewoud placed eighth and merel conijn ninth, falling short against surprise winner francesca lollobrigida of italy, who claimed gold on her 35th birthday [4]. conijn cited difficult ice conditions and emotional strain post-race [4]. though no medals were secured, the performance suggested competitiveness at the highest level, offering cautious optimism ahead of the men’s long-distance events [4].
competitive field and strategic challenges
the absence of defending champion nils van der poel of sweden opens the field, but new threats have emerged beyond eitrem [3]. timothy loubineaud of france recorded a time of 6:00.23 in salt lake city in 2025, narrowly missing the sub-six benchmark [3]. metodej jílek of the czech republic owns victories in recent world cup 5000 and 10000 meter events [3]. davide ghiotto of italy benefits from home support and holds the 10000 meter world record [3]. bosker faces gabriel gross of germany in the first pairing, while van de bunt competes against sigurd henriksen of norway [1].
athletes’ backgrounds and expectations
bosker began his career in switzerland before moving to the netherlands at age fifteen to pursue elite skating [2]. van de bunt stunned observers by winning both the 5000 and 10000 meters at the olympic qualification meet [2]. huizinga, less experienced internationally, relies on consistency rather than breakthrough form [1]. neither has achieved a podium finish in world cup competitions this season [3]. still, coach perspectives emphasize preparation and resilience, particularly noting van de bunt’s aggressive racing mentality described by former coach stefano donagrandi as skating ‘with fire in his eyes’ [2].
event schedule and broadcast details
the 5000 meter men’s event starts sunday at 16:00 local time in milan’s fiera milano venue [1]. nine total pairings are planned, with eitrem competing in the penultimate heat against jílek [1]. ted-jan bloemen of canada, born in the netherlands, closes the program against loubineaud [1]. live coverage is available through official broadcasters and digital platforms including the sportnieuws.nl app [1]. fans can also access detailed timing schedules and athlete profiles online [5]. medal outcomes hinge on execution, especially among early runners who lack reference times [3].