KPN Schaats Cup - Enschede (1e divisie).	7
KPN Schaats Cup - Den Haag (1e divisie).	9
WC road - marathon.	3

video 1500m

posted on 08/01/2011
thanks to CadoMotus
video 1500m

video 5000m

posted on 08/01/2011
thanks to CadoMotus
video 5000m

video 500m

posted on 08/01/2011
thanks to CadoMotus
Video 500m

Day 2 Collabo

posted on 08/01/2011
Result 1500m

1) Håvard Bøkko _NOR_ 1:52.12
2) Ivan Skobrev _RUS_ 1:52.52
3) Wouter olde Heuvel_NED_ 1:52.72
4) Zbigniew Brodka _POL_ 1:52.89
5) Jan Blokhuijsen _NED_ 1:52.95
6) Koen Verweij _NED_ 1:53.07
7) Pavel Baynov _RUS_ 1:53.76
8) Sverre Pedersen _ITA_ 1:53.85
9) Bart Swings _BEL_ 1:53.99
10) Alexis Contin _FRA_ 1:53.99

final result:
Bart Swings _BEL_ 117.775 (19e)


You can find all results here

Results day 1 Collalbo

posted on 07/01/2011
500m--_38.97_(26th)
5k--_6:48.09_(12th)

total points---79.779_(22th)
all results from day 1 here

New Year race in Erfurt!

posted on 02/01/2011
Today I had my first ISU race, one of the most important races of this winter. After 8 weeks of ice skating trainings we tried to qualify for the World Cup and the upcoming European Championships All-round. So the goal of today was to skate the 5km below 6min48sec. Together with Ferre, Wannes and my dad I drove to Erfurt for the race.

The past weeks went pretty good for me, I kept on training for the upcoming inline season but I tried to rest as much as possible and the last 3 days I only did some recovery practices to be in a good shape for this weekend. So no new Year party for me, I had a relaxed evening together with my girlfriend and went early to bed. But then it all went a little wrong, at 3 a.m. I had to wake up the first time and definitely not the last time, I had stomach flu and maybe slept 2 more hours that night. That was a little frustrating because the race was in 24hours.. At 8 in the morning we left to Erfurt so I tried to rest in the car. The trip to Erfurt went good, it only took us 5hours so at 2pm we could skate on the ice track in Erfurt. I didn’t do that much, just a little to get some ice feeling. Once we got in the hotel I took a shower, had one hour nap, had a good diner and went to bed. I wanted to be in the best possible shape I could be, even after the little sickness so I gave my body all the sleep it needed.

The next day I felt a lot better, my stomach wasn't yet the way it should be and I still had a small headache but I was able to race. I first had a 500m against my new CadoMotus teammate, Pascal Ramali, I opened in 10.8s and finished with a time of 39.35. Still had the usual problem like every 500m, I wasn't totally focused but my legs were feeling ok.

The 5K: only one goal this race, to skate below 6.48. I started the race immediately pretty good with 19.38 and 30.7. After that I tried to skate as long as possible below 32sec so I never got in real danger, I was able to keep on skating laps between 32s and 32.5s. I didn’t really try to accelerate to the end of the race, I just was focusing to not make any faults, no crossing of the line or hitting a cone. And I succeed, I finished in 6.43 and qualified myself for the EC All-round in Collalbo which starts Friday 7 January. So the next two days I’m going to rest and try to recover from my illness, I leave Tuesday to Italy were I'm going to rest, get used to the ice track in Italy and in the meanwhile try to study as much as possible because my examinations are coming close too!
So the year has start alright for me, I hope for you too! I wish you all a happy New Year and a late Merry Christmas!

Times 3000m Eindhoven

posted on 19/12/2010
Bart Swings

1. 200m 19.96 _(19.9)
2. 600m 51.75 _(31.7)
3. 1000m 1:24.78 _(33.0)
4. 1400m 1:57.68 _(32.9)
5. 1800m 2:30.41 _(32.7)
6. 2200m 3:02.92 _(32.5)
7. 2600m 3:35.08 _(32.1)
8. 3000m 4:07.20 _(32.1)


All times of yesterday's races  

Belgium nationals Day 1: my first distance race!

posted on 19/12/2010
Today the national championship started, two races were on the program for me: 500m and 3k. In the senior men division we are with 4 skaters, Wannes Ferre, me and Benjamin Willekens.

My goal for today was to skate a PB on the 500m and skate a decent 3k. I wasn't really sure what my possibilities were on the 3k so I tried to skate on a flat schedule of 32.5s a lap and start with 20s on the first 200m. That’s the same schedule you have to skate on to get the World Cup limit for the 5k,6.50.

The 500m wasn't really great, I had no focus and I never had a good technique, even though I skated a new PB, 40.02, I wasn't happy with the way I skated. Last weekend’s race felt a lot smoother and easier.

On the other hand, I was pretty happy with my 3k. The start went good, I opened below 20s, The next lap was 31.7 so I went a little slower. But off course I went too slow and skated 33.0. From that moment I accelerated every lap with 0.1 or 0.2 and with my last lap of 32.1, I finished in a time of 4.07.20! So besides the 33.0 lap the race went pretty good. I'm now looking forward to tomorrow, to get as close as possible to the World Cup limit: 6.50!

All the results of the national championship allround here.

first long track race!

posted on 12/12/2010
I skated my first Personal Bests today. I did a 500m and a 1500m in Eindhoven to qualify for the national championship of next week.

The times:
500m 40.39
1500m 1.59

In my 500m I was very nervous and maybe a little to stressed for the race. And Ferre also did a false start so we had to restart. ( both the 500m and the 1500m I skated against Ferre) The time was ok, not great. I felt after the race that I could go faster, especially in the corners. I just was to focused on the first 100m that I forgot to go fast in the last lap. (100m 11.16)

The 1500m went pretty good, but a little too good actually. Before the race I didn't want to go to fast in the first laps so I wouldn't blow my legs up immediately. My start was ok 26s + I almost felt in the first straightaway. My first lap was 31.1, at that moment it felt good but after the race I should have started faster. Lap 2: 31.4 and going into the last lap I was feeling I was going to slow because I still could accelerate in my final lap: 30.7.

So some good points, the times were ok, I learnt a lot about the racing and I still feel I can go faster than that. I have a lot of points to work on for next weekend, be more focused and don't be scared to go full out. After all it was a good day, after yesterdays marathon and 2hour of indoor, the times weren’t so bad for Eindhoven!

Race in Breda: First podium!

posted on 11/12/2010
Today we had a marathon in Breda, it is pretty close to my hometown, only 1hour driving. So I could do first some other things during the day. I studied a little and did some cycling too. I did one hour on my bike to prepare my legs for the race.

At 17.30 the race started, it was a fast race but there weren’t so many attempts for breakaways. I tried a couple of times to be in the breakaway especially from the moment there were only 50laps to go. But I never really was in a good breakaway and when I was in a good one, followed the whole peloton. So no real chance to get away. The racing in the pack didn’t go as I wanted to. I’m still a little scared/strange in the group. On inline when the race starts I just think at the race but on ice I still have to think on my technique and also on not falling, especially when I'm skating in the group. I hope that changes soon! During the last 10laps I just thought at the final sprint so that's positive!

So the race ended in a field sprint: with 10 laps to go I was pretty good in the front and focusing on staying there! Then came Ferre to the front so I let him in the pack in front of my. It was the first time we really found each other during the final sprint and skate together. During the last laps we sometimes got a little more to the back but Ferre lead us always back to the front by passing in the inside. With 2laps to go we were around 6th position and on the outside tried a group to get to the front, that was the signal for Ferre to go and start our sprint, I followed and behind me was Simon Schouten. On the finish line with one lap to go I took the lead over from Ferre and skated my last lap as fast as possible but in the corners in a controlled way, just like last race. I held the lead and came in first position out of the last corner. I saw Simon Schouten coming, he was pretty fast next to me sprinting but he couldn’t really come straight over me. But eventually he won the race just in front of me, third was Niels Mesu and Ferre still finished in fourth position!

So a good race today, I was really close to the win but I’m happy with my first podium and a positive point today was that we could race in a team! Happy to still feel some progression every week!

Race in Enschede!

posted on 04/12/2010
Today we had a marathon in Enschede. We had to drive 3,5 hour while it was snowing the whole time to get there! I also got my material from CadoMotus to sharpen my nice Marchese Record Blades, so it was my first time I prepared my blades myself for the race.

We, Ferre, Wannes and me got on time in Enschede, 1hour before the race which started at 17.30. I did my usual warming-up and put my suit on for the race. The legs where feeling ok, just a little sour from the practices this week. But during the first laps I just skated easy to get used at the technique and to get the good feeling. I always need a few laps to get the feeling. So I didn’t want to start the race like last week, I wanted to build up my intensity during the race, that was my racing plan today.

The first half of the race went very good actually, at 70laps I started to be active in the breakaways. But then it went wrong, I saw Erben Wennemars falling a few places before me in the corner and I had to decide to go around him on the outside or to go in the inside. My reflex from inline skating was to go around on the outside: wrong decision on ice! He glide to the outside of the corner and I felt too. I tried to get up as fast as possible and started to chase the peloton. I think I needed 2laps to get again in the peloton but I made it. Off course I needed a few laps to recover and to get in the front again. But I recovered pretty fast and started my race plan again. And I got in some breakaways soon. At 50-45laps to go a group of 6 skaters was formed my teammate Ferre and trainingmate Wannes were two of them. So I settled in the pack again, they were pretty fast 200m in front of us and then I saw Wannes his teammate Ted Ooijevaar Skating in front in second position, the peloton couldn’t really start chasing because of that so I went to the front too and break every possible chase.

And with 30laps to go Ferre took as first the lap on the peloton followed by the other 5skaters. After that I tried again to get in breakaways but the peloton just reacted on every breakaway so no group got away. The rule in Holland when a group takes a lap is that the peloton has to sprint for the other places at lap 5. So the bell for the last lap was on lap 6. I was skating good in the front and preparing myself for the final sprint. I was feeling strong so at 1.5 lap to go I started my sprint, I went to the front and skated my last lap as fast as possible but in a controlled way, so I could stay in the lead. My plan went perfect and I won the peloton sprint so a 7th place for me today!

After our sprint, the leading group still had to skate 5laps. They skate pretty easy and were all looking at each other, both Ferre and Wannes were looking good and with 2laps to go 1 guy felt so they had to sprint with 5. Going into the last lap they still were looking at each other, but then Wannes surprised and started to sprint as first. Ferre tried to react immediately but he didn’t had the place to go. Wannes took a little gap on the rest. He came out of the corner in first place, Ferre in third a couple of meters behind. At the finish line Ferre came still close to the win but he got second right behind Wannes who handled the sprint the best!

So a pretty good race today, I finally could win the field sprint and Ferre and Wannes got on the podium!

Next weekend I have two races, Saturday the marathon in Breda and on Sunday finally my first long track race! A 500m and 1500m in Eindhoven to qualify for the national championship! I’m looking forward to next weekend already:)

Race in Eindhoven

posted on 27/11/2010
Today we had another marathon on the schedule. I skated this week two times, Tuesday and Thursday in Eindhoven and I will train there for the next months too so it was sort of a home race for me.

The race started good, after two laps I got away with Simon Schouten, leader in the overall ranking. We had a decent gap and stayed away for more than 10laps but then a group chased us down. I got away immediately with the next breakaway and tried again to get away. That was my racing plan for the first 60laps or so, to get away and maybe lap the peloton with a good group. A few times I was in a group who could make it but unfortunately that didn't happen, no group got away and the pack stayed together. At that moment I was a little tired so placed myself in the middle of the pack to rest for the final laps. With 15-20laps to go I started moving up to the front to be in a good place for the sprint.

I had it pretty difficult to get there because there was some fighting going on and the ice in the corners were pretty bad. With 2laps to go I was still around 15th place but had nowhere to go and I couldn’t start my sprint. I tried everywhere to pass to get to the front. Still passed some skaters in the last lap and finished in 8th place.

For myself a pretty good race, I was in a lot of attacks and tried to be active in the race. I made it hard for myself and had a good workout. Maybe I went just a little too hard in the attacks so I was not fit enough for the sprint. I’m okay with my 8th place, felt stronger than that, I think there was more possible, a better placement but after all the result is good. Still have to focus more on my sprint.

Wednesday I have my first long track race in Grefrath. It 's a trainingrace, I have to skate a 1500m to qualify for the national championships!

A new adventure!!

posted on 21/11/2010
After the WC in Guarne I took 1week of totally rest but after that week my new adventure started, Ice Skating! I did last year already one week of ice Skating in Hereveen together with Desly Hill and her team to feel how it’s like and if I like the sport. That week went surprisingly well and I really enjoyed it so during this summer we started planning how we could do this winter more ice Skating. During this winter I want to focus as much as possible on the technique and do some long track races at the end of the season to see where I am standing. So I started the 8th of November my first training on ice together with Ferre. Since then we went every day for 2 weeks to Grefrath in Germany(1,5hour drive) to train with Marc Otter who is coaching us the technique! We started with the best material from CadoMotus, the Marchese record blades so we just could focus us totally on the technique.
The first week went really good, only the weather conditions weren't that great (Grefrath is an outside track). We also got accompanied sometimes by our other teammates, Maarten and Pascal! Pascal Ramali is for next year our new teammate, I think he will be a very stronger factor for us team next year! Maarten only came 2 times with us because at this moment he has to focus on university but he will be more on the ice soon!

Because of the good feeling during the trainings we decided to start the ice marathon in Den Haag. I was a little stressed about it, also during the first Laps in the race, it 's really strange to skate in the group on ice! Probably because I’m not yet as sure on ice like I’m on inline, but after 10laps the fear and strange feeling was less so I could race properly. The race on itself wasn't too hard for me, I got in a few breakaways, we are off course still in good shape after THE WC and I could handle the speed very well. Between lap 20 and 10 I was in almost every breakaway but the race ended in a sprint. I tried to finish in the front, I just had to come from a little too far, the last corner was just too fast for me and the ice too bad but I finished in 9th place, good for the first time I guess! Interview from after the race here:





Sunday after the race we had a day without ice skating so I put my inline skates back on and did some indoor which went better than expected! From Monday until Friday we went again every day to Grefrath for some more ice Skating. I am still improving in different things and I am getting different, better feelings every time so it was fun to feel I’m improving. On Saturday there was another marathon on the program, this time in Hoorn! I was pretty excited for the race, to do better than last week. In the begin of the race I was very active, got in some breakaways but then I struggled a little in the pack, had the same feeling as the first time. But when I got again in the front racing went easier again. At 10 laps to go a group of 4 athletes got away they had a decent gap on the peloton. I hoped the pack would catch them again in the final sprint. At 2 laps to go I saw the gap was still very big and knowing I was too late in the sprint last week I started my sprint at 1,5 laps to go! I got closer to the leading group but saw I couldn’t catch them anymore. I came in first position from the peloton out of the last corner, tried to win the peloton-sprint but with 50m to go on the last straight I went to much on the outside of my blade and crashed, stopped with gliding 15m before the finish.. I just got to excited in the sprint and started sprinting like on inline, that 's when it went wrong.. But after all the race went good, the speed is increasing so maybe next time!!

3weeks after...

posted on 20/11/2010
The WC finished three weeks ago! A very successful championship for myself with 2x golds 2x silvers and one bronze medal! Great result and I’m really happy with it but I couldn’t make this happen on my own so I would like to start and thank some people. My teammates Ferre and Maarten who train with me and help me win the race, not only this World Championship but the whole year we are skating together and that’s what’s making us such a good team. Off course you need great teammates to even make a chance for the win but especially the training together part is so important for me and even more than the work they do in the races. During the preparation for worlds which started right after Euros, my brother and I trained every day, day in day out together to worlds. He made every training as hard as possible for me so I would be ready for worlds. I'll give an example so you know what I mean. A typical training we have is 600m 85% 400m at 60% and that for 7 times, I'm not sure about the exact amount. In this training he really shows what sort of teammate he is. In the beginning we do off course the drill and change lead every 400m or so. But from the moment Maarten is getting tired and he is feeling his 85% is slower than my laps, he will go over his 85% so I still have to skate at 85% and do the drill as hard as it should be. He won’t be able to finish the whole drill because he is going too hard in the lead and has to go hard behind me but he is satisfied that I can complete the total drill as hard as possible. That 's one example how he not only works during the race for me but also during in a lot of practices. So a big thanks to him!

Furthermore I also have to thank all my family, friends and my girlfriend Hanne, who support me the whole year to achieve my goals. CadoMotus, to support me also during the year and make me the best material you can have. I think it was obvious this year which were the best wheels and best material! The whole national team, Wouter, Siemen and Mathias! And then our national coach Jorge, he learnt me A LOT! From mental strength to physical, from racing experience to racing preparation. You can read an interview on pureskatingnews.com about him!

And then last but not least, my trainer Jelle! I know there are some top skaters who train without a real coach but I definitely couldn't be at the level at which I’m now without him. Especially this preparation for the WC, it was a little different from the usual championships. Because It was so late in the season, the weather conditions weren’t great in Belgium, we also went 3weeks earlier then we are used to the WC and because of the altitude we did more trainings on the bike in the altitude chamber. So a few factors who changed our usual training schedule. It all made me panicking a few days, I thought I didn't train hard enough and needed to do more. But if I now look back that definitely wasn't the cause, I never was stronger before than this championship. That was the same what Jelle told me back then and made me relaxed again. So without Jelle I think I couldn’t achieve this, I would always wonder if I am not training to hard or not enough but with all the knowledge and research Jelle does for us I know I’m training the right way.
He also arranged our trainings at the sports research center at the university, TopsportABC, at which I study. We trained there in an altitude room during the preparation but I also have to thank the TopsportABC team for another reason. The reason I also felt stronger then every year before is that I recuperated faster than other championships before. Last year in China after my first world title I really was dead after the race and I needed 2 or 3 days to get recovered. This year after the points-elimination I was dead again, I even had to go harder than in China. But TopsportABC learnt me what to eat, drink and do after a race like that. We got from them recuperation drinks for after the race, normal drinks for before and a lot of information. We started using it right after Euros and I felt immediately the difference. And during the championship I used it after every race to recover for the next day. And every day again my legs felt as good as the first day. Off course you get tired from all the races but my body didn’t get tired. Only mentally because of all the stress for the races and all the focusing. So thank you TopsportABC to learn me how to tread my body optimal.

So I'm now 3 weeks back from Colombia, the world championship in Guarne. I needed some time to put everything all in place again and get used to the daily schedule because last weeks were pretty busy. When I came home, university was already 1month going, I missed a lot of classes so I started and tried to catch up with the class. I didn’t skate or sport a whole week but after that it start tickling again so Ferre and me started ice skating. A whole new adventure for us! More about that in my next thread! You can explore already my results and program for the upcoming month!

Follow Bart

posted on 24/10/2010
You can follow the results of all the races on the official site:
follow the WC