Olympic champion Achtereekte won a silver medal in a personal best of 3:54.92 in the ladies' 3000-meter race at the ISU World Single Distances Championships in Salt Lake City last season. She also managed to take a silver medal at the first two World Cups of the season. At the European Championships, she ended up in fifth place.

"I am absolutely delighted to be extending my time here at Team Jumbo-Visma", Achtereekte said. "The last three years have been more than I could imagine. Plus, I really like working with coach Jac. In my first year with this team, I became an Olympic champion. In my second year, I made a lot of progress and this past year was probably my most consistent season ever. Winning a silver medal at the World Single Distances Championships was amazing."

"I don't see a better team fit in this sport than this one. Jac's approach really works for me. Of course, it is unfortunate that I didn't win a gold medal last year, but at every single international tournament, I was able to finish top-five. I have never been on such a consistent level, so I really want to continue with this direction. I am looking forward to the next two years and I’m going to give it everything I have got."

After missing out on the first World Cups of the season, Beune managed to qualify for the ISU World and European Single Distances Championships. At the European Championships, she ended up in seventh place. A month later, she finished tenth in the ladies' 1,500-meter race at the World Championships in Salt Lake City.

"I just really like to be part of this team", Beune said. "I am happy with my teammates Antoinette (de Jong) and Carlijn. We definitely push each other to a higher level. My biggest dream is to qualify for the Winter Olympics, so I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen."

"I hope that I can even beat the expectations I have set for myself and to show everyone what I have got next season. I learned a lot last year. The beginning of the season was really disappointing, but I’m happy that I was able to recover and still qualify for the important tournaments. Next season, I want to be ready right from the start."

Coach Orie is pleased with the extension of Achtereekte and Beune. "Carlijn has really improved a lot over the last couple of seasons and I'm sure her performances have not reached a ceiling yet. I am looking forward to the next two years. It would be amazing if she could extend her Olympic title."

"Joy is a very good speed skater with a lot of potential", Orie said. "The last two years, she has already achieved some great things. Our next goal should be to get her to a level of performing well on a consistent level. I am sure she is able to reach that level in the near future."

Picture: Stephan Tellier / Robert Prins