The Norwegian teams of the Olympic games
In the Olympic games of 2018 the Norwegian team consisted of the skaters Havard Bokko, Simen Spieler Nilsen and Sverre Lunde Pedersen. During the last worldchampionships on the individual distances only Sverre LUnde Pedersen was seriously competing with the best speed skaters, mostly from the Netherland, especially Sven Kramer and Petrick Roest. Havard Bokko had played an important role in these championships till the year 2014. After that year he only obtained medals in the team pursuit. Simen Spieler Nilsen only obtained medals in team pursuit with these two colleagues.
Given the situation that the Norwegens did not obtain so many medals anymore as in the past, they concentrated on the team pursuit and tried to perfectionize their performance in this diciplne of speed skating. In the video below the Norwegians show a well trained race against a Dutch team that in 2021 still had not yet adjusted to the new approach.in the team putsuit while the Norwegian did so. In 2022 The Dutch team was the same as in 2018 while in the Norwegen team Simen Spieler Nilsen was substituted by a first year senior skater Peder Kongshaug.
Given this diffrence in approach it is not surprising that the Norwegens could beat the Dutch teams in 2018 and 2022 during the Olympic games even though the Dutch skaters received better results in the individual lang track races. .