SHARON VAN ROUWENDAAL

NATIONALITY Dutch
HOMETOWN Eindhoven
DATE OF BIRTH 09/09/1993
DISCIPLINE Open Water/Freestyle/Backstroke
CLUB/COLLEGE 3MUC Natation
COACH Bernd Berkhahn
FOLLOW SHARON ON
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

BIOGRAPHY

Sharon van Rouwendaal could not contain her joy after she claimed her first open water world title in Budapest in 2022.

The Netherlands swimmer won Olympic 10km gold at Rio 2016 as well as seven European titles across 5km, 10km and the team event between 2014 and 2020.

However, world gold eluded her although she had come tantalisingly close with three silver medals.

That changed on 29 June 2022 when she finally claimed that gold with victory in Lake Lupa following a spectacular final sprint.

Van Rouwendaal said: “There’s a lot of emotion in the mix. You always have to keep turning the dial up. I was able to flick the switch very well. I wanted to swim smartly: wait, wait and then give everything in the sprint.”

Van Rouwendaal has also enjoyed world and European success in the pool in freestyle and backstroke and her time of 2:07.78 to win world silver in 2011 still stands as a Dutch record.

The Dutchwoman is guided by German national coach Bernd Berkhahn in Magdeburg alongside Olympic champion Florian Wellbrock and Ukrainian Mykhailo Romanchuk, who moved training base following the invasion by Russia.

It ended a seven-year association with Philippe Lucas in Montpellier, France, during which time she won eight European and five world medals and Rio gold.

She paid tribute to Lucas, saying: “Philippe, thank you for all the times you made me cry, smile and laugh. You gave me confidence by believing in me. You saw something that other people didn’t.

“Made by Philippe Lucas.”

GENERAL QUICK FACTS

Favorite sportsperson or team (other than swimming)
Tennis player Rafael Nadal and athlete Usain Bolt
Favorite vacation spot and why
Brazil. I love how they celebrate life every day
Public person you admire
Leonardo DiCaprio. I love how he uses his fame and acting career to make the world a better place as an environmentalist
Favorite series
Breaking Bad, Peaky Blinders, Vikings, Game of Thrones & Friends
Items you’d want on a desert island
My dog Rio, covers and a mattress
If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
Daenerys Targaryen aka Khaleesi aka Mother of Dragons in Game of Thrones
If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
To be able to fly
If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?
I have a biography called ‘Bruut’
What you’d like to do in your life after swimming
Share my swimming knowledge with young people

SWIMMING QUICK FACTS

Proudest moment in swimming
Becoming Olympic champion
Least favorite part of swimming
Not having any feeling for the water after a break
Funniest moment in swimming
Eating and peeing at the same time during a 25km, haha!
Favorite/least favorite training set and why
A lap on the venue is my favourite training, mixing it with some backstroke, least favourite was 20x200m fly or 10x1000m (150m free/ 50 fly)
Favorite Race/Training suits and why
Powerskin R-Evo+ Open Back, it’s simply the best suit ever
Best piece of equipment and why
A kickboard, I love kicking!
Favorite Food after training
Pasta carbonara
Most annoying type of swimmer
The type who are not motivated to swim. You cannot be motivated every day but you have some that are just not motivated at all
Favorite Pool in the world and why
Swimming in the ocean

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

2024 OLYMPIC GAMES, PARIS
GOLD 10Km Open Water
2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, DOHA
GOLD 5Km Open Water
GOLD 10Km Open Water
2023 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, FUKUOKA
SILVER 5Km Open Water
2022 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, ROME
GOLD 5Km Open Water
2022 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUDAPEST
GOLD 10Km Open Water
BRONZE 25Km Open Water
2020 OLYMPIC GAMES, TOKYO
SILVER 10Km Open Water
2020 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUDAPEST
GOLD 5Km Open Water
GOLD 10Km Open Water
2018 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, GLASGOW
GOLD 5Km Open Water
GOLD 10Km Open Water
GOLD Team Event Open Water
SILVER 25Km Open Water
2017 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, BUDAPEST
SILVER 25Km Open Water
2016 OLYMPIC GAMES, RIO DE JANEIRO
GOLD 10Km Open Water
2016 EUROPEAN OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIPS, HOORN
BRONZE 5Km Open Water
2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, KAZAN
SILVER 400m Freestyle
SILVER Team Event Open Water
SILVER 10Km Open Water
2015 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, NETANYA
BRONZE 800m Freestyle
2014 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, BERLIN
GOLD 10Km Open Water
GOLD Team Event Open Water
SILVER 400m Freestyle
SILVER 5Km Open Water
2014 WORLD SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, DOHA
GOLD 4x200m Freestyle
SILVER 400m Freestyle
SILVER 800m Freestyle
2013 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, HERNING
BRONZE 800m Freestyle
2011 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS, SHANGHAI
BRONZE 200m Backstroke
2010 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS, EINDHOVEN
SILVER 100m Backstroke
SILVER 200m Backstroke

INSIDE SHARON’S BAG

Cobra Ultra Swipe Mirror Goggles
arena Bishamon One Piece
Powerskin R-Evo+ Open back
Fast Multi Duffle Bag
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