Much how hockey is a way of life in Canada, long track speed skating is a religion in the Netherlands.
Just ask Ted-Jan Bloemen, who grew up surrounded by professional speed skating clubs.
He first hit the ice as a youngster in Gouda, a city located in South Holland, known for its cheese and syrup waffles. He spent time with the Dutch national team, coming in fifth during the 2006 World Junior Speed Skating Championships and later took part in 14 World Cups wearing an orange body suit.
But, with such a deep Dutch national team (the Netherlands won 23 out of 36 medals in Sochi), Bloemen realized if he wanted to achieve his Olympic dream, he would have to look elsewhere.
“I hit a wall in Holland,” the 31-year-old recently admitted. “I couldn’t progress there anymore. I still felt I had more potential in me.”
Check out which long track speed skaters have earned a shot at the Olympic podium in #PyeongChang2018.
Meet the nominees https://t.co/6sJgoWDYme pic.twitter.com/2FfD6elLwt
— Team Canada (@TeamCanada) January 10, 2018
Enter the Great White North.
“My dad was born in Canada,” Bloemen explained. “There was always a connection there. I also have some family members living in Vancouver and Montreal.”
His father, Gerhard-Jan, was born in New Brunswick and spent the early years of his life in Canada before moving to the Netherlands with his family. Because of Gerhard-Jan’s birthplace, the younger Bloemen acquired dual citizenship in 2014 and decided to move to Calgary to continue his long track career.
The speed skater immediately made an impression on his new national team, breaking a nine-year Canadian record in the 10,000 metres and a year later, he set the world record in that same event with a mark of 12:41.69, coincidentally enough held by his one-time Dutch teammate Sven Kramer.
He credits a welcoming environment in Calgary for his success.
“It was a pretty big change, moving to the other side of the world and speaking a different language,” Bloeman said of his transition to Canada. “Everyone helped me and made it easy for me to find my way here.
“You get someone new on the team, and you don’t know what to expect. Everybody embraced me on the team. They showed me around and taught me the Canadian way.”
However, that’s not to say the transition was all roses.
“In Holland, people are very straight up, and if something’s wrong, they’ll tell you right away,” he said with a chuckle. “In Canada, things are friendlier and nicer. Sometimes, I can be a little rude because I grew up that way. That’s something I have to think about, too.”
The Olympics don’t give out medals for politeness, though, and he’ll have his game face on in PyeongChang. Heading into his first Games, he holds that 10,000 metres record and this past December he captured the 5000 metres world record at an event in Salt Lake City.
“I’m more competitive than ever, and I’m skating faster than ever,” he expressed. “It’s looking really positive. The [Canadian] program is built in a way that I should be my best at the Olympics.”
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