Belgium enjoys considerable success at the European Inline Cup
Belgian athletes enjoyed considerable success at the European Inline Cup, which was held from 23 until 30 July in the Netherlands. In particular, Sandrine Tas, Bart Swings and the junior Nymphe Keuleers assured the medals.
On the opening day of the European Cup, Sandrine Tas immediately won a gold medal for the 300 metre race against the clock. On the same day she also came second in the 10 kilometre elimination race.
Sandrine Tas did, however, win the 15,000 metre elimination race on the second day. She didn't have to contend with her main rival Francesca Lollobrigida, given that she had been disqualified in the 500 metres. Finally, she won the bronze medal for the 5,000 metre team race with Anke Vos and Stien Vanhoutte.
Bart Swings was unfortunately unable to retain his European title in the marathon. He could only manage second place, also because he was obstructed by the Italian Stefano Maresch during the final sprint. The Belgian athlete did, however, clinch a gold medal in the elimination race. He also won a silver medal in the 1,000 metres.
But there's a good reason for Bart Swings' relatively slim pickings. His participation in the European Cup was limited entirely to ice skating, the discipline in which he intends to excel at the Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, in a little over 18 months.
For the juniors, it was Nymphe Keuleers who skated into the spotlight. In total, she won 5 medals, namely 2 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze. The Belgian junior men’s team also won the silver medal for the 5,000 metre team race on the road.