#ShortTrackWorldTour

The friendly rivalry between the Canadian Ice Maples and Dutch Lions, which has raged all season, continued in earnest at the 2024/25 ISU Short Track World Tour Tilburg Odido Cup on Sunday. This time around it was the men in orange who had the best of it.  

The local heroes won the Mixed Relay and a thrilling Men’s 5000m relay, while their poster boy, Jens van ‘t Wout, clinched victory over Canada’s William Dandjinou in the Men’s 1000m. 

It means the grapple for the ISU Crystal Globe is still alive for another seven days – although Dandjinou maintains a large lead and will be expected to hold on to at the final leg of the ISU Short Track World Tour next weekend.

Jens van 't Wout (NED) celebrates winning the gold medal in the Men's 1000m Final in Tilburg (NED) © ISU

Van ‘t Wout burns to 1000m victory 

Short Track is often won by overtaking – but equally, and sometimes less obviously, it is won by blocking. Successful co-operation between teammates can frustrate a rival, and in the 1000m, the Dutch Lions executed this to perfection. 

Once again Dandjinou and van ‘t Wout lined up against each other for an A final. Once again they both had ambitious teammates to work with.

It was van ‘t Wout and upcoming young racer Daan Kos who got to the front first and managed to deny Dandjinou’s bid to get past. In the end the Canadian tried a pass that was just too risky, crashing into Kos and Roberts Kruzbergs of the Latvian Golden Stars.

Dandjinou would get a yellow card, and zero points, for his efforts. Kruzbergs got to his feet and staggered round for silver; Kos also arose and completed the race for a bronze, his first senior individual medal. Van ‘t Wout coasted and milked the applause. 

“Making sure everyone screws up and falls, that’s the fun part,” said van ‘t Wout with a huge smile afterwards. “I knew the Canadians would want to lead, because William likes to sit in front of me.

“I knew my best shot was to get in front of him, with one or two buffers between us. We managed it. He might have panicked a bit at the end, tried a pass that wasn’t good. But we tried the block. I thought ‘if he isn’t behind me, I’ll send it. I will die at the end, but so will everyone else’.

“Blocking is the beauty of the sport sometime. You get good at it in training. 

“It’s been a great day. It’s nice to put up a fight with the Canadians. We played it great this time. They’re going to be more hungry than ever now.”

Roberts Kruzbergs (LAT), Jens van t’ Wout (NED), William Dandjinou (CAN) and Daan Kos (NED)  in the Men’s 1000m at the ISU Short Track World Tour Odido Cup, in Tilburg (NED) © ISU

Dandjinou knew he’d been outwitted. “The two Dutch were trying to block me, so I was trying to create some magic and it didn’t work,” he said. “We are striving for greatness, but it’s a tough sometimes.

“I’m disappointed with the yellow card. Losing is one thing, but with the yellow card, you get no points. I feel like my effort today didn’t deserve it. But it’s part of the game and I should have made better decisions.

“On the ice, it’s about positions that you need to be aware of, so it is a good learning experience. I’m looking forward to next week.”

Kruzbergs was mainly pleased to escape uninjured. “I’ve had an injury, but now I’m back in shape and happy to get a medal after a disappointing 500 and 1500,” he said. “In the race I just had to stand up fast, finish, and get the best position possible. 

“Four guys fell. I didn’t even count the laps, I was just skating. If nothing is broken you just skate on adrenaline.” 

Kos was also content. “It’s amazing to do it, and in front of a home crowd,” he said. “I’ve worked very hard to get this medal.”

Relay wins prompts Tilburg party 

It is nearly Carnaval time in the Netherlands – in Tilburg they dress up in fluorescent green and orange for the annual celebration – but the party got started early at the IJssportcentrum thanks to two relay victories, with enormous themed scarves handed to the victors. 

First Netherlands took the Mixed Relay: Van ‘t Wout, the Velzeboer sisters, Michelle and Xandra, and Teun Boer joined forces to finish ahead of Italy and USA.

Team Netherlands celebrate winning the gold medal in the Mixed Team Relay Final at the ISU Short Track World Tour Odido Cup, in Tilburg (NED) © ISU

“It was really nice,” said Boer. “Our idea was to send it from the beginning, because we are the fastest, even leading from the front.

“We controlled the race. My job is to fire off Jens, and we delivered. He keeps accelerating, and even when I send him off on a high speed, he always keeps his lines well.

“We are close, we train this every day, and we have the goal to become Olympic champions at this Mixed relay. This was amazing, and an amazing crowd.”

Boer, Kos and van ‘t Wout then combined with Dutch Lions legend Sjinkie Knegt to win a wild 5000m relay. With Dandjinou sidelined thanks to his yellow card, Steven Dubois faced off with van ‘t Wout on a heart-in-mouth final lap.

Steven Dubois and Jordan Pierre-Gilles (CAN) Teun Boer and Jens Van t' Wout (NED) battle in the Men 5000m Relay Final in Tilburg (NED) © ISU

 The pair came together and Dubois hit the floor on the final corner, but there was no foul. The Lions had their third gold of the day.

“It’s so great to battle Canada and skate in front of a home crowd,” said veteran Knegt. “We can be happy with these medals. Hopefully we can get a couple more and keep going to the Olympics. 

“Our young generation are great, they skate well. They give me energy and keep me young.”

Racing in the 2024/25 ISU Short Track World Tour continues next weekend at the Forum Assago, Milan, Italy, as will this enduring Canada-Netherlands tussle. As van ‘t Wout says, “it’s beautiful, right?”

Men’s ISU Crystal Globe Standings 

William Dandjinou 1012 

Jens van ‘t Wout 830

Steven Dubois 658

Team ISU Crystal Globe standings 

Canada 7422 

Netherlands 5771

Korea 5448