Schulting won't have long to wait, as she's set to compete in the very first heat on Monday against Italy's Maybritt Vigl. While the top skater hasn't had many standout results this season, she did secure a ticket to the Games at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OKT).

Timmer, speaking on the Sportnieuws.nl Dromen van Goud podcast, suggests that Schulting is precisely the kind of athlete to watch out for in these types of competitions. "She's a killer. She needs that little miracle to truly excel. And then she could very well be in contention for a bronze medal, perhaps. This isn't someone who crumbles easily when it matters most."

Schulting Can Skate Without Pressure

The fact that Schulting is up so early could also work to her advantage: "She can skate without pressure because she's in heat one. So, she doesn't have the burden of seeing all the good times posted by others. Full throttle, and we'll see what happens."

The three-time Olympic champion, who won gold in the 1000 meters in 1998 and 2006, believes Schulting is making a strong impression in training and expects her to set a high bar for the other skaters: "Everything looks good. You don't see her searching for form, not at all. She's someone who can rise above herself. She'll post a good time, and then it will get exciting halfway through to see what happens, because the better skaters are after the ice resurfacing."

Kok and Leerdam in Action Later

While Schulting competes early, the other two Dutch skaters will be in action later. Kok races in the thirteenth heat against American Brittany Bowe, and Jutta Leerdam will face reigning champion Miho Takagi in the final heat.

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Watch or listen to the episodes of Sportnieuws.nl Dromen van Goud below, where three-time Olympic speed skating champion Marianne Timmer delves daily into the performances of TeamNL during the Winter Games.