Irene SCHOUTEN

Netherlands

Speed Skating

Date of Birth: 21 Jun 1992

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Height (m/ft): 1.67/5'5''

Place of birth: ANDIJK

Birth Country:

Netherlands

Residence: HOOGKARSPEL

Residence Country:

Netherlands

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank
Speed Skating	Women's 3000m	1
	Women's 5000m	1
	Women's Mass Start	1
	Women's Team Pursuit NED Netherlands	3

Records

Record	Event	Mark	Date	Location
OR	Women's 3000m	3:56.93	5 February, 2022	Beijing (CHN)
OR	Women's 5000m	6:43.51	10 February, 2022	Beijing (CHN)

Schedule

Location	Event	Status
National Speed Skating Oval	Women's 3000m	Finished
National Speed Skating Oval	Women's 5000m	Finished
National Speed Skating Oval	Women's Team Pursuit Quarterfinals	Finished
National Speed Skating Oval	Women's Team Pursuit Final B	Finished
National Speed Skating Oval	Women's Mass Start Final	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Athlete:

Historical Results

Olympic Games
Rank	Event	Year	Location
3	Women's Mass Start	2018	PyeongChang, KOR

European Championships
Rank	Event	Year	Location
1	Women's Mass Start	2022	Heerenveen, NED
1	Women's Team Pursuit	2022	Heerenveen, NED
1	Women's 3000m	2022	Heerenveen, NED
1	Women's Mass Start	2020	Heerenveen, NED
2	Women's Allround	2021	Heerenveen, NED
7	Women's 3000m	2020	Heerenveen, NED

World Single Distance Championships
Rank	Event	Year	Location
1	Women's Mass Start Semi-Final 1	2021	Heerenveen, NED
1	Women's Team Pursuit	2021	Heerenveen, NED
1	Women's 5000m	2021	Heerenveen, NED
1	Women's Mass Start	2019	Inzell, GER
1	Women's Mass Start	2015	Heerenveen, NED
3	Women's Mass Start Final	2021	Heerenveen, NED
3	Women's 3000m	2021	Heerenveen, NED
3	Women's Mass Start	2020	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
3	Women's 5000m	2016	Kolomna, RUS
7	Women's 5000m	2020	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
7	Women's 3000m	2020	Salt Lake City, UT, USA
10	Women's Mass Start	2016	Kolomna, RUS
22	Women's Mass Start	2018	Gangneung, KOR

World Allround Championships
Rank	Event	Year	Location
6	Women's Allround	2014	Heerenveen, NED

World Cup
Season	Women's 1500m	Women's Mass Start	Women's Long Distances	Women's Team Pursuit
2020/21	10	1	1	2
2019/20		2	39
2018/19		2
2017/18		16	8
2016/17		4	20
2015/16		1	3
2014/15		2
2013/14		2
2012/13		4
2010/11			50

Nickname:

Sprankeltje.

Hobbies:

Going out for dinner.

Occupation:

Athlete

Family:

Fiancee, Dirkjan Mak. Father, Klaas. Mother, Jolanda. Sister, Catherine. Brothers, Simon and Klaas, Jr.

Languages spoken:

Dutch, English

Club name:

Team Zaanlander / STG Koggenland

Coach:

Jillert Anema (NED)

Sporting relatives:

Brother Simon Schouten (Speed skating, Marathon skating): Team pursuit European champion in 2018, shortly after winning the national marathon title (Irene won the women's title). Two seasons competing in the World Cup, with two mass start podiums in 2018/19 before retiring.

Niece Kelly Schouten (Inline skating, Speed skating, Marathon skating): Multiple European Inline Skating Championship medallist. Won three marathon skating races. Retired in 2020.

Other sports:

Inline speed skating: Relay world champion in 2012 alongside teammates Manon Kamminga and Elma de Vries.

Marathon speed skating: Six-time national champion with more than 40 wins on the Dutch circuit.

Uphill sprinting: Won the inaugural Dutch Red Bull 400 in 2019 (held in Switzerland), which involved running 400m up a ski jumping hill.

Debut:

2007 International Opening Race in Erfurt (500m - 5th, 1500m - 2nd)
2010 World Cup in Heerenveen (3000m - 21st)

Injuries:

January 2020: Minor muscle injury forced her to withdraw from the Dutch Allround Championships in Heerenveen.

2008: Infected thyroid gland. Unable to compete for six months.

National team:

2015

Start:

Started speed skating in 2000. (isu.org)

Reason:

"I grew up in a skating-loving family. When I was young, once a week, we all took the bus with the local skating club to the ice rink in Alkmaar." (rodi.nl, 27 Feb 2020)

Ambition:

Win the Elfstedentocht, a 200km natural ice race held very rarely (last contested in 1997).

Qualify for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games. "The qualification tournament may even be more important than the actual event. To qualify for the Olympics in the Netherlands, you really have to be good." (nporadio1.nl, 21 Feb 2021)

Memorable:

Winning mass start gold at the 2015 World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen. "It was the first mass start World Championships, I was the favourite, so under a lot of pressure. It's really great to win under those circumstances." (fhm.nl, 20 Nov 2018)

Influence:

Parents (Info 2018)

Philosophy:

"When everything's under control, you're going too slow." (Info 2018)

Award:

Female Marathon Speed Skater of the Year (2019)

General Interest

DOCUMENTARY
Co-featured in the 2021 documentary "Het leven gaat niet altijd over tulpen", which was broadcast on Dutch television in June 2021. For two years, it follows the Schouten family as it runs their international tulip business, supports two top-level skaters (Irene and her brother Simon), while also dealing with the care of mother Jolanda after she has suffered from intracranial bleeding. (eo.nl, 17 May 2021)

MAGAZINE
Posed in lingerie for FHM in 2018. "Speed skating is sometimes seen as a boring sport, for farmers. This reputation is not correct and we're not peasant girls." (libelle.nl, 20 Nov 2018)

Milestones

Won gold in both the 3000m and the 5000m, and bronze in the team pursuit at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.

First skater to win the mass start at the World Championships (2015), and became the first to win twice in 2019.

Social Media

Legend

:: Gold
:: Bronze
:: Gold Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event
OR:: Olympic Record

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