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You have to hear this bluff about why the Dutch are good at speed skating

NBC's Katie Couric said skating is as "an important mode of transportation" in Amsterdam. Yeah, it's not.

Johnny Lieu

on February 11, 2018

You have to hear this bluff about why the Dutch are good at speed skating

Sven Kramer of the Netherlands, clearly the best in his country at getting to work on time. Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

It's no secret the Dutch are quite good at speed skating.

Athletes from the Netherlands have already claimed two gold medals at the Winter Olympics. In fact, all three medals in the ladies' 3,000 metre event went to Dutch competitors, and you can bet there's more winning to come.

Why is the country is so dominant in the sport? That's likely down to its long-standing culture and investment in competitive skating.

But NBC commentator Katie Couric didn't say that, instead offering a rather extraordinary explanation for the country's skating success during the Opening Ceremony.

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"Why are they so good you may be asking yourselves? Because skating is an important mode of transportation in a city like Amsterdam, which sits at sea level and have lots of canals that can freeze in the winter," she said.

"For as long as those canals have existed the Dutch have skated on them from place to place, to race each other, and also to have fun." You learn something everyday, hey.