PHOTO: Bildbyrån
The blue-yellow feat hero is back!
Nils van der Poel has made a sensational comeback.
Without any Swedes even reacting to it…
In just a few years conquered Nils van der Poel the entire skating world with his amazing talent and wonderful personality. The 27-year-old won EVERYTHING and broke the world record on the treadmill.
Van der Poel back
Double Olympic gold and triple World Cup gold were achieved during the Swedish skating star’s incredible victory procession on the ice. He also rightfully won the Gold of Achievement last year for his matchless performances in the Olympics and WC.
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But then van der Poel ended his entire sports career at a far too early age. After that, we got to see the golden hero impress in prime time in the acclaimed SVT program “Master of Masters” which he won last year.
Mocked throughout the country
But now Nils van der Poel has made a sensational comeback – and all of Sweden has missed it. He actually competed during the November run in Trollhättan last month and it seems to have passed everyone by.
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But the Netherlands, a powerhouse in skating, certainly didn’t miss it.
– In Holland it was on TV the same day. The night before it was everywhere on forums and stuff when he was on the start list. Then someone from TV called me and wanted comments about it while I was in the car on the way down to Trollhättan, because I was there when he drove, says the coach Johan Rojler in the “Konditionsbloggenpodden”.
Olympic comeback?
But it wasn’t exactly an impressive stealth comeback for the Swedish superstar. In the 5,000 meters, he finished in 7.14.80, which is far behind his world record of 6.08.84 in the 2022 Winter Olympics – and that made the Dutch very happy.
– In Holland, they just laughed at it when they saw the result, says Röjler in the podcast.
– They miss him. He is missed in skating. They loved him when he came up. It is clear that for the sport it would have been better if he continued with the interest, also internationally, not only in Sweden but in Holland.
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In the Netherlands, it is now being speculated whether Nils van der Poel will make his acclaimed comeback for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
– I know absolutely nothing about a comeback, quite seriously. I can say that. But what I do know is that we have joked about him driving the SM, I don’t know if it will be this season or in the future. But that we will race against each other at the SM at some point. Then you still have to run some competition and get a qualifying time, says coach Johan Röjler in the interview.
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