There is no doubting the identity of the current world-leading female Short Track Speed Skater. Suzanne Schulting has been in sparkling form since grabbing 1000m gold at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Games but the Dutchwoman took her level to new heights in 2019/20.
Statistics do not give full justice to Schulting’s overwhelming power on the ice but they are a good start. The 22-year-old started with gold in the 1000m and silver in 1500m at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating season-opener in Salt Lake City and never looked back.
Suzanne Schulting (NED) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (NED) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
Multiple ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating wins along with a plethora of podium places put Schulting a monumental 8,235 points ahead of her rivals in the season-long 1000m standings. She sauntered to the overall ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating title for the second year running thanks to a margin of victory in the 1500m almost as big than in the 1000m (7,379).
But while she ruled the roost throughout, nowhere was her mastery more evident than at the ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2020 in Debrecen. Distance specialist Schulting went to Hungary knowing she was in great form but even she did not realize quite how great.
“It’s really special,” Schulting told the ISU after winning a shock 500m gold. “I was skating against the top of the world. Natalia [Maliszewska, the defending champion from Poland], Lara [Van Ruijven, her compatriot and the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Sprint Champion] and Martina [Valcepina of Italy, who finished behind Maliszewska at the 2019 Championships] are so, so good and always skating A finals in this distance, so I’m just really happy with that. It was the highlight of the day.”
Suzanne Schulting (NED) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (NED) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
With her first major sprint title secured, the 1000m and 1500m finals were almost a formality, as was the overall win. But despite all that gold, the one she really savored was the one she shared.
“It’s always better to celebrate with your teammates,” she said after leading the Netherlands to success in the Ladies’ 3000m Relay. “I can win everything but if you don’t win the Relay it’s kind of a disappointment.”
Yara van Kerkhof (NED), Suzanne Schulting (NED), Rianne de Vries (NED), Lara van Ruijven (NED) at the ISU World Cup Short Track Speed Skating (NED) 2020©International Skating Union (ISU)
