Rijen, March 1, 2008

The women of 1995 and 1996 show up in such large numbers, that they are often split in two. The race of 1996 still has 38 contenders, and the distance is only 1200 metres, one intermediate lap. This is 500 metres less than last year in Wageningen. Such short distances are not in favor of the true distance talents, and a wind of 7-8 Beaufort, blowing straight into the vaces of these young ladies, adds up to the lottery. The nationals of 2009 will be in Rijen as well, and hopefully the organization will have learned from the edition of 2008.

This is the outer left wing of the field. Second from the left stands Lotte Keizers (1402), one of the favorites for this race.

This is the left center of the field, among other with Evie van den Ouweland (1428), one of the many athletes from the cross country paradise in the southeast of the country. No part a the small country hosts so many cross country events as the provinces North Brabant and Limburg. The same thing happens across the border, in the northeast of Belgium, in the provinces Antwerp, Brabant, and Limburg. Like we said, a true cross country paradise, and a nice piece of conservation of nature, coming right from the middle ages.

This is the center of the 1996 field, with absolute favorte Nisrine Masrhalmi (1403). To our best knowledge, she has not lost one single race this winter.

... and #1447 Evelien Ruiter has a serious technical problem with her leggings...

...and that's the last straw for her in this race, that will be done in less than 6 minutes.

While moving a little bit more to the right, we spot another candidate for a medal, Judith Rasch (1410).

Tall and slender Esther Brilman (1407) may be one of the closest rivals of Masrhalmi, having made nice progress over the winter.

The girls must keep sprinting against the strong western winds, for the course is rapidly narrowing after some 150 metres. They don't want to lose the race in that gate.

Masrhalmi has proven too strong again, and her closest rivals are not in sight yet.

Keizers has collected a number of seconds and thirds this winter, and will have to confine with bronze once more. She is certainly disappointed, the more so because she has no reason to be worried about what is going on a long way behind her.

Rasch, Jonkers, and Tuinebreijer are facing a tough battle for rank four. The race was way too short to make it the the end zone in time, so we may as well inform you, that they took 4th, 5th, and 6th rank in the order we just mentioned their names. Cathelijn Peeters (1414), some ten metres behind the trio, is going to take rank 7.

Julia Baur (1434) will succesfully defend the 8th spot she holds right here, but Nienke de Jong (1423) will have to turn rank 9 over to little Van den Ouweland, who had lost a lot of ground earlier, and is not yet visible on this picture.

Joyce van Jole (1418) is only heading for rank 16. The faint figure in ninth position on this picture is Van den Ouweland, so she is going the make up a lot of ground in the last quarter of a mile.

Maria Strogova (1430), Iggy Kewilaa-Blom (1421), Silke van der Kleij (1436, yellow shirt and red leggings), and Sophie Philippart (1438) will bypass Van Jole for ranks 11, 12, 13, and 15. Eline Bekkers (1429), the taller girl in last place on this picture, will eventually take rank 14. Esmée de Vries (1411) is facing rank 19.

Emma van Mourik (1405) still precedes Van den Ouweland, but will not reach higher than rank 22. Van den Ouweland is, like we already told, about to jump to place nine in the final ranking. Cista-Roosje Rombout (1417) is on her way to place 17. Naomi Cools (1415) has sneaked through the camera already.

Shirley Dolman (1427) will eventually decide this battle with Lynn van der Schaaf (1400) for rank 20 in her favor.

Within ninety seconds or so, Martje Bekius (1412) will collect rank 25, Julia Ouden (1435) rank 31.

Sofie van der Steeg (1425), partially hidden by Megan Kantelberg (1419), and already introduced Ruiter, will finish within a second to take ranks 23, 24, and 26.

Charlotte Fransen (1406) will outsprint this group for rank 27. Lotte van der Velde (1408) will end up as 29th, Véronique de Jong (1404) as 32nd.

Eva Postuma (1413) is showing the proper outfit of Tilburg Road Runners. Greg van Hest did not like the colors, chose not to wear it in the men's main race over 10.2 kilometres on Sunday, and found himself disqualified after bravely having collected rank 3. Postuma will finish 28th in this race, Emma van der Burgh (1426) as 33rd, and Laurine van Roosmalen (1431, between Fransen and Van der Burgh) as 30th.

Marleen Sievers (1416) and Romy Smulders (1434) are about to qualify for ranks 34 and 35. They have clearly hoped for a better outcome.

Jilian Seevinck is not very pleased with rank 36, and wishes this unfortunate race was over.

Anna Wittenbols, who is not looking very tired, has settled for rank 37. Her pants are probably too wet and heavy to race with.

Masrhalmi, the one in the middle, is having the happiest smile at this victory platform, without any question. We can't argue with gold.

		Women 1996, 1200 m
1	1403	Nisrine Masrhalmi	1996	Energie	4.49
2	1407	Esther Brilman	1996	Triathlon	5.04
3	1402	Lotte Keizers	1996	Nijmegen Atletiek	5.06
4	1410	Judith Rasch	1996	Pijnenburg	5.15
5	1433	Suzanne Jonkers	1996	Sprint	5.17
6	1420	Talitha Tuinebreijer	1996	AAV'36	5.18
7	1414	Cathelijn Peeters	1996	Atledo	5.21
8	1434	Julia Baur	1996	Fortuna	5.29
9	1428	Evie van den Ouweland	1996	AVV	5.30
10	1423	Nienke de Jong	1996	Olympus'70	5.31
11	1430	Maria Strogova	1996	Scheldesport	5.33
12	1421	Iggy Kewilaa-Blom	1996	Energie	5.33
13	1436	Sylke van der Kleij	1996	Fortuna	5.35
14	1429	Eline Bekkers	1996	Attila	5.35
15	1438	Sophie Phillppart	1996	Sprint	5.35
16	1418	Joyce van Jole	1996	Energie	5.36
17	1417	Cista-Roosje Rombout	1996	GAC Hilversum	5.38
18	1415	Naomi Cools	1996	THOR	5.39
19	1411	Esmee de Vries	1996	Energie	5.41
20	1427	Shirley Dolman	1996	BAV	5.41
21	1400	Lynn van der Schaaf	1996	Groningen Atletiek	5.42
22	1405	Emma van Mourik	1996	Delta Sport	5.43
23	1425	Sofie van der Steeg	1996	Energie	5.48
24	1419	Megan Kantelberg	1996	AV Heythuysen	5.48
25	1412	Martje Bekius	1996	AV Heerenveen	5.48
26	1447	Evelien Ruiter	1996	Scheldesport	5.49
27	1406	Charlotte Fransen	1996	AAC'61	5.53
28	1413	Eva Postuma	1996	Tilburg Road Runners	5.53
29	1408	Lotte vd Velde	1996	Triathlon	5.53
30	1431	Laurine van Roosmalen	1996	Sparta	5.54
31	1435	Julia Ouden	1996	Fortuna	5.56
32	1404	Veronique de Jong	1996	AV Edam	5.57
33	1426	Emma van der Burgh	1996	BAV	6.00
34	1416	Marleen Sievers	1996	GAC Hilversum	6.01
35	1434	Romy Smulders	1996	Attila	6.03
36	1424	Jillian Seevinck	1996	De Liemers	6.18
37	1409	Anna Wittenbols	1996	Energie	6.42
38	1422	Fleur van der Put	1996	Leiden Atletiek	7.36