December 2020: Nils van der Poel makes his first competition in over two years.

He records the seventh fastest time ever in the world in 10,000 meters and sets a Swedish record in German Inzell.

February 2021: van der Poel sets a world record at the World Championships in Heerenveen and takes double gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.

Is that development even possible without resorting to illicit means?

Suspected myself

- I had suspected myself of doping.

This is just not how you do it.

I understand that people are wondering, says van der Poel to TT.

Already during the World Cup, the first questions came.

- I got the question from the Dutch media immediately after the 10,000-meter race in the WC.

And I've heard rumors that people are asking about doping in connection with the record.

Out of the system

The thing is that Nils van der Poel announced in June 2018 that he intends to take a break from the competition and instead do the dirty work on the army's hunter battalion in Arvidsjaur.

At the same time, he signed out of the so-called stay reporting system.

It is the system where elite athletes must notify where they are in order for the doping controllers to be able to make unannounced checks.

For van der Poel, it was a practical necessity.

Doing military service means that you are not reachable at times.

In addition, you are often in military protection areas.

- The difference for someone who does military service as a fighter soldier, as Nils van der Poel did, is that the periods that can not be reached are longer, says Björn Eliasson, deputy commander of the Army's fighter battalion in Arvidsjaur.

Stood over the season

Only a year later, in June 2019, van der Poel was back in the reporting system.

But he chose not to compete and stood all season.

He takes the issue of doping calmly.

He thinks that you have to evaluate the rumors based on who it is that says it.

If it is "people in the cottages" who are talking, it is one thing.

- But if it was the world's best skating coach who says that what I did is not possible, then I would just thank him for giving me the best compliment of my life, says van der Poel.

- It would be bigger than both world records and World Cup medals.

But now he does not feel that anyone in the sport is questioning his results.

He has two junior WC golds since before (2014, 2015) and is known as one of those in the world elite who trains the hardest.

"Completely meaningless"

- I am an elite athlete who first and foremost works to prove to myself what I can achieve.

If I doped myself, everything I do would be completely meaningless, he says.

- I would rather lose than win through cheating.

And he is clear in his position.

 0150 Few things corrupt sports as much as doping.