Seventh edition of De Zilveren Bal

On Wednesday, March 8, 2023, the seventh edition of De Zilveren Bal will take place in the Elfstedenhal. With the World Championship Distances in Thialf the weekend before, the chance of a large international  list of participants is greater than ever before. Like every year, the evening will be filled with show, spectacle and sprint races at the speed of lightening.

The organization of the world's fastest skating show hopes to finally organize a 'normal' edition again on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. For example, the event crawled through the eye of the needle in 2020 when De Zilveren Bal turned out to be the last event in the Netherlands before the lockdown. This year, just after the strict measures, it had to deal with many cancellations of athletes related to corona, Among others, Olympic champion Erin Jackson and taste maker Gilmore Junio ​​had to miss out at the last minute then. There was also a testing-for-access policy for visitors this particular spring.

Tournament director Jan Ykema looks forward with enthusiasm. “Despite all the restrictions, there was enormous interest from athletes and visitors during the last edition last spring. If we can organize De Zilveren Bal again as we would like, without restrictions, then we can make great strides.”

ISU World Championships Distances

The weekend before De Zilveren Bal, the ISU World Distance Championships will take place in Heerenveen. In recent years, such an international top tournament just before De Zilveren Bal has had a positive influence on the number of international participants. Previously, that was the World Cup Final several times. With the World Championship Distances, this influence may be even greater, because the number of participants is higher than in the World Cup Final. It goes without saying that the top skaters of the short distances are approached to participate in the spectacular conclusion of the season: De Zilveren Bal.

Junior tournament

Just like in recent years, the talents of the future will also be in action again. The exact date for the junior tournament has not yet been determined. In the last editions, the juniors went on the ice in the afternoon, on the same day as the top skaters. The organization is considering letting the juniors ride a day earlier in the evening.