News

Thea Kroontje and Kees Verdouw win DMC 2024-2025

With another world record for both in the final in Leeuwarden, Thea Kroontje (L80) and Kees Verdouw (M80) managed to win the final classification of the Dutch Masters Cup 2024-2025!
In the final evening on January 4 in the Elfstedenhal in Leeuwarden, 75 masters were at the start. It was clear in advance that the victory of the final classifications for both women and men would almost certainly go to Thea and Kees. Everything was still uncertain for the rest of the podium and it has become an exciting evening.

Maximum points record for Thea Kroontje
For the third DMC in a row, Thea also managed to win this evening the day classification with a world record.
On the 1,500m, she broke the world record in the L80 age group, which had been held by Russian Galina Ulyanycheva with 4:00.06 since April 2024. With 2:56.14 an amazing new world record in the women’s 80-year-old category! The points of this evening counted 1.5 times, so she got 150 points plus the 75 bonus points of the world record, so 225 points this evening. Together with the 350 points she already had, a final score of 575 points, the maximum achievable and therefore she deserved to win!

Just like DMC-II, Gerdien Verweij (L60) managed to achieve second place, approaching the world record in her category to 98.83% with her 500m time of 46.06. This world record was held by the Russian Tatyana Epaneshnikova until last DMC and stood at 45.52. Gerdien achieved 120 points this evening, which, together with the 155 points she already had in her pocket, gave her a total of 275 points, which was also good for a second place in the final ranking.

Anke Jannie Landman took third place this evening. With her 500m time of 43.73 to 97.78% she set the world record in her L50 category. With 42.76 this is in the name of Anja Bollaart, skated in 2017 in Inzell. Good for 105 points and together with the 140 points from the intermediate ranking, a final total of 245 points and a third place in the final ranking!

Lettie Zwanenburg and Marianne de Neeling, both competing in the L65 category, occupied the fourth and fifth place of the day’s results in this final competition. With this result Lettie took the fourth place in the final classification. Mijke Anne Kanneworff, who was not present at the final, fell out of the top 3 of the intermediate classification and ended up in fifth place. Marianne de Neeling came in sixth place.

Kees Verdouw winner DMC for the third time
Just like in the 2022-2023 and 2019-2020 seasons, the victory of the men’s final classification went to the now 80-year-old Kees Verdouw. Just as he showed that he was in shape at the previous DMC, he broke another world record at the M80 this evening. This time by skating 2.35.17 on the 1,500m, taking more than 1.5 seconds off the record of 2.36.81 held by Norwegian Arne Kjell Foldvik, skated in 2015 on the fast track of Calgary. The victory this evening (with 1.5 times the points good for 150 points) and the 75 points for the world record gave Kees a total of 225 points. Together with 275 points from the intermediate ranking, a total number of points of 500 and therefore by far the winner in the men’s category!

Pieter-Jorn Gemser took second place, just like at DMC-II, by approaching the world record in the M45 to 99.22% with his 5km time of 7:11.72. This record is held by Arjan Elferink with 7:01.42. A total of 120 points, which, together with the 150 points from the intermediate classification, gave him a total of 270, and a second place in the final classification.

Johannes de Groot managed to secure the 3rd place of the evening, which gave him 105 points. With his 2:00.42 in the 1,500m, he managed to approach the world record in the M45 to 95.47%. This record is held with a very sharp time of 1.54.96 in the name of Jan Duif(†), skated in Calgary in 2011.

Chris van der Plaats was fourth this evening and Roland ten Klooster fifth, both with an attempt to approach the world record on the 500m in the M60. Chris came with his 42.88 to 93.89% and Roland with his 43.06 to 93.50%. The world record for the M60 is held by Boris Leikin (†), skated in 2013 in SLC, with 40.26.

In the end it was Bart Seffinga (M40), who only took 7th place in the day’s results during this final evening, who managed to secure third place in the final classification behind Pieter-Jorn Gemser with a total number of points of 200. Where during the evening itself we thought that he had the same number of points as Pieter-Jorn Gemser (both 200), we found out during a post-calculation that in the intermediate ranking after DMC-II Pieter-Jorn’s points were not quite taken into account, so that the difference between Bart and Pieter-Jorn turned out to be bigger.

Chris van der Plaats and Johannes de Groot occupy fourth and fifth place in the final standings with 154 and 150 points respectively.

Award ceremony
The top three of the final ranking for both women and men not only received the corresponding cup from Tjeerd Smies and Karin Ter Hürne, but also each a voucher for our master’s clothing.

Nice addition to the Schaatscircuit.nl/MCLN competition program
The DMC remains a nice addition to the regular competition program. Not only because of the set-up where young and old have an equal chance of winning the cup. But especially because of the concept where only masters are at the start, which makes every DMC feel like a family and friends outing. It was a party again!

Congratulations to all winners!
All participants, thank you for your enthusiastic participation! And finally, thank you to all the volunteers, for your contribution to these beautiful DMCs!

Results and rankings
https://www.schaatscircuit.nl/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Dutch-Masters-Cup-2024-2025-III-finale-uitslag.pdf
https://www.schaatscircuit.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dutch-Masters-Cup-2024-2025-III-Ranking-women.pdf
https://www.schaatscircuit.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dutch-Masters-Cup-2024-2025-III-Ranking-men.pdf
https://www.schaatscircuit.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dutch-Masters-Cup-2024-2025-Final-classification-Women.pdf
https://www.schaatscircuit.nl/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dutch-Masters-Cup-2024-2025-Final-classification-Men.pdf