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Suzanne Schulting and Sjinkie Knegt (NED) Beijing 2022 Olympic Games GettyImages 1238202552

Suzanne Schulting and Sjinkie Knegt (NED) @ISU

In the second part of a new series, Sjinkie Knegt (NED) shares an inside view on friend and teammate Suzanne Schulting (NED). And then Schulting gets her own back.

The Netherlands emerged as a powerhouse in Short Track with Knegt leading a talented Dutch team; the 33-year-old won the Netherlands’ first Olympic medal in the sport at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. It paved the way for Schulting to burst on to the scene the following year – and she has dominated Women’s Short Track ever since.

Suzanne Schulting and Sjinkie Knegt (NED) Beijing 2022 Olympic Games GettyImages 1238202552

Suzanne Schulting and Sjinkie Knegt (NED) pictured during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing (CHN) @GettyImages 

With eight Olympic and 24 World Championship medals (including three overall titles) between them, they have written their names into the history books and represent the pinnacle of their sport.

Here, they share how they push each other to greater heights and what they really think of each other.

Knegt on first memories

I remember watching Suzanne compete at a national championships in Groningen. Mind you, this was a long time ago. She was still skating with the C juniors (a youth setup level).

She and another girl crashed in a final and as they were laying on the ice someone from the stands shouted there was still a bronze medal to play for. That triggered both of them to stand up again and battle it out for bronze. It was really funny to see.

She was also still so young when she joined our team. I’d say she was a little bit shy at first as well, but not for too long (laughs).

On their friendship

I get along well with Suzanne but sometimes we can really get on each other’s nerves too. That’s a good thing, I’d say. We don’t beat around the bush.

Une publication partagée par SUZANNE❄️⚡️🍭🌶💥🚀 (@suzanneschulting)

On what sets Suzanne apart

She has been an incredibly hard worker from a young age. She just doesn’t stop. I think you need that kind of work ethic in our sport as well. It made her get to this level.

When Suzanne starts a race, she only has one goal and that’s to win. I feel like some riders in the international field are also satisfied with a second or third place; Suzanne has never been like that.

On his most profound memory of Suzanne

When Suzanne became Olympic champion in the 1000m for the first time (in 2018). That was a beautiful moment. I have such fond memories of watching her win that race. I also remember walking down into the arena tunnel to congratulate her. She threw herself into my arms.

Suzanne Schulting (NED)  Short Track Speed Skating PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games  Gangneung (KOR) GettyImages 922908428

Suzanne Schulting (NED) celebrates during the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Gangneung (KOR) @GettyImages

We celebrate those kind of moments with the team as well. We’re all very close in that regard.

On what he still hopes to achieve together

It’d be amazing if we can stop messing up our Mixed Relay races. I want to win with Suzanne as my teammate in a major tournament. We just need to stay on our feet, as there’s enough quality in this team to win those kind of races. Unfortunately it has gone wrong more often than right recently.

Sjinkie Knegt, Suzanne Schulting  ISU World Cup Short Track 2021 Dordrecht (NED) GettyImages 1356007794

Sjinkie Knegt and Suzanne Schulting (NED) compete during the 2021 ISU World Cup Short Track in Dordrecht (NED) @GettyImages

Schulting gets her own back…

On joining the Dutch team

You felt a bit anxious of course. I was still so young, only 17 years old, joining a team that was so finely tuned. Everyone knew exactly what they were doing. At least that’s what you think. I thought I knew it all, but in reality that wasn’t really the case of course.

The way I settled into the team was all pretty straightforward. I’m always eager to learn, so I just went for it and took matters into my own hands as well. That’s also the culture within the team: to not just talk about something, but do it. We work hard for our goals. That’s a spirit the current team has inherited from the likes of Sjinkie and Daan (Breeuwsma, NED).

On their friendship

We’re always honest towards each other. We both feel like we tell each other everything. I think you can best describe it as some sort of brother-sister relationship. We can argue a lot, but also really understand each other. That connection is definitely not something all teammates have. I don’t take it for granted.

We see each other almost every day on the ice, so it’s not like we hang out a lot after training sessions. We both like to do different things as well. But I always really enjoy going to promotional campaigns or other events with Sjinkie. That makes it even more fun.

On having Sjinkie in the team

When I first joined the team, Sjinkie was just the main character – and he still is. I really see him as the face of our team. I saw him become a World Champion and that inspired me as well. I wanted to be that one day too, because of Sjinkie. But at the same time it’s not like I put him on a pedestal.

Park Se Yeong (KOR), Sjinkie Knegt (NED) and Wu Dajing (CHN)  2015 ISU World Short Track Speed Sochi (RUS) GettyImages 466407460

Park Se Yeong (KOR), Sjinkie Knegt (NED) and Wu Dajing (CHN) pose during the 2015 ISU World Short Track Speed in Sochi (RUS) @GettyImages

I just really respect his work ethic and his approach to racing. I think that’s why we get along so well. We both like to put in a lot of work to achieve our goals and also have similar skills when it comes to racing.

On her most profound memory of Sjinkie

I remember Sjinkie becoming a World Champion in the 500m in Ahoy (Rotterdam in 2017) so vividly. Across all distances it’s perhaps his least favorable one but he just owned it. The way in which he won that race was so impressive. I will never forget it. The same goes for his efforts in the Men’s Relay that tournament but the 500m stands out for me.

On what she still hopes to achieve together

I also hope to win a Mixed Relay with Sjinkie at a major tournament. That’s something we really want to achieve together. I’m sure we’ll figure it out and make it happen.