Belgium end Winter Olympics with one medal after disappointments in mass start
Belgium failed to win a medal in the mass start event on Saturday and will end the Winter Olympics with just one medal. At the 2022 Games in Beijing, Team Belgium won two medals and it was looking to do better in Milan-Cortina.
After Hanne Desmet disappointed in the 1,500m event in short track on Friday, the hopes of the Belgian nation on the penultimate day of the Games rested on the shoulders of speed skater Bart Swings, who started the mass start event as defending champion.
But after a race in which many other favourites took a wait-and-see approach, Swings finished only 9th. Compatriot Indra Médard finished 8th. The gold went to Dutchman Jorrit Bergsma.
Two Belgians also competed in the women's competition: Fran Vanhoutte and Sandrine Tas. They both launched several attacks in the final but ultimately fell behind. Vanhoutte finished ninth and Tas 13th. The gold medal again went to the Netherlands, to Marijke Groenewoud.
These Winter Games, which end on Sunday, can be considered a disappointment for Belgium. The ambition was to do better than four years ago, when the team won two medals. Belgium also sent a record delegation of 30 athletes to Milan-Cortina.
But in the end, only the mixed relay team in the short track event managed to win a medal. Hanne and Stijn Desmet, Tineke den Dulk and Ward Pétré secured an unepxected bronze medal.
There were, however, many strong performances by Belgians that did not lead to medals. For example, Tas finished fourth in the 5,000m in speed skating, Armand Marchant achieved fifth place in the slalom and skeleton racer Kim Meylemans finished sixth.
Bart Swings after the final of the mass start event at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics © BELGA PHOTO JASPER JACOBS
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