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Irene Schouten (NED) celebrates during the ISU World Single Distances Speed Skating Championships 2024 in Calgary (CAN). @GettyImages
She won three titles and a silver medal at the ISU World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships in Calgary (CAN) last weekend, but Irene Schouten (NED) decided to call it quits.
“After 15 years of top sports, I have decided to quit.”, she said in a personal social media post on Monday morning.
The 31-year-old Dutchwoman leaves the sport as one of the all-time greats, having collected three Olympic titles, a World Allround title, eight World Single Distance titles and five European Single Distance titles.
Beijing 2022
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing (CHN) were the pinnacle of Schouten’s career. Winning three gold medals (3000m, 5000m and Mass Start) she equaled Dutch Speed Skating legend Yvonne van Gennip (NED), who won the 1500m, 3000m and 5000m at the 1988 Games at the same Olympic Oval where Schouten won her three final world titles last weekend. In 2018 Schouten had already won a Mass Start bronze medal and in 2022 she also added a Team Pursuit bronze.
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Irene Schouten (NED) poses during the Olympic Athletes Ceremony 2022 in Den Haag (NED). @GettyImages
Although the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games could hardly have been more successful, it also made Schouten doubt her future as a speed skater. She explains:
“After the Olympic season, I realized that it was going to be difficult to immediately commit for another four-year Olympic cycle. I decided to take it one year at the time.
“Last weekend (ISU World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships in Calgary) showed that I’m still in top shape, and I still enjoy the race."
"I feel strong and in the past days I even skated my fastest laps ever, but I realize that there’s life outside top sports. That’s what I’m really looking forward to.”
‘Elfstedentocht’
Before she celebrated titles in long track Speed Skating, Schouten already was one of the most successful female skaters in the Dutch marathon skating circuit, having won eight consecutive national titles.
“The only omission on my list of honors is the Elfstedentocht,” Schouten says.
Ice skaters compete in the Alternative Elfstedentocht in 2011 in the Austrian Weissensee. @GettyImages
This 200km race on natural ice in the northern province of Friesland in the Netherlands is very rare, because of the extreme conditions to make it possible. Held for the first time in 1909, the race was held only fifteen times in history, with the last edition in 1997, when Schouten was only four years old.
Staying with the team
Schouten doesn’t know what her future holds in store. She says:
“I haven’t thought about the question what I’m going to do when the season is over, but I will stay affiliated to the team (the commercial team coached by Jillert Anema, NED).
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Irene Schouten (NED) and coach Arjan Samplonius (NED) pictured during the ISU World Speed Skating Single DistancesChampionships 2024 in Calgary (CAN). @GettyImages
"Now, I’m going to enjoy my fantastic victories at the World Championships. I want to thank my team, my sponsors, coaches Arjan Samplonius (NED) and Jillert Anema (NED), and of course all the speed skating fans in the Netherlands who have supported me.”
