Frank Fiers is somewhere as well, and will skate the 5000m this weekend. "Nele is from inline" says Vermeulen. She is 19 years of age, born two weeks too late to still be a junior. But she has won the European junior championships inline, and she was even the junior vice World champion. Someone with talent to reach the top. "I want to skate as fast as possible", she says. I train in Berlin, with the Swedish and Danish team."

Vermeulen: "The ministry of Defense has an agreement with the Olympic Committee and the Federal Sports Federations, to support Top athletes and Olympic hopes, promising young skaters. Nele is one of them. She gets a basis salary so she can focus on her sport. She wants to grow from here to the real top. This year she has to skate 4.20 before Dec. 31, Kris Schildermans had to skate 6.35 this year, and he did so. The idea is to be five seconds faster next year, and then again five the next. Nele should be able to do 4.08 in 2009. 

Nele has to appear at Defense activities when she is available. She walked in the defilé before the King and liked it. "And in winter, I'm in Berlin or other locations, and then they dont expect anything then."