The Flying Dutchman On Ice

It isn’t exactly what it sounds like (though opera on Lake Monona could be interesting): The Flying Dutchman is also a nickname for superstar Dutch speed skater Sven Kramer. You may remember that Sven won the 5,000m race on the first weekend of the present Olympics. You’ll definitely remember that last night, he made a costly mistake–with the help of a confused coach–in the 10,000m race by incorrectly switching lanes. He was disqualified, losing his second gold medal and an Olympic record. The New York Times reports that the story is front page news in the Netherlands: according to one Dutch correspondent, “It’s a national tragedy. It’s all anybody’s talking about. A few days ago our prime minister stepped down, but it’s off the front pages because it’s all about Sven Kramer.” Something tells me The Flying Dutchman (the opera) on ice would actually sell in the Netherlands.