The Dutch and Their Love of Watersports: Rowing & Sailing

The Netherlands is a country full of water, with 20% of it covered by lakes, rivers, and canals. Because of this, the Dutch have always been good at dealing with water. They don’t just manage it well; they also use it for sports and fun, aiming to be the best.

A Culture of Water and Excellence

From a young age, Dutch children learn to swim and stay safe around water (see my previous post on swimming). This early start helps them become strong athletes who know how to deal with the elements. The Dutch are always pushing to be the best, and this shows in their success in rowing and sailing at the Olympics.

Team NL Sailing Success

Marit Bouwmeester is the most successful Dutch Olympic sailor ever. She started in the Laser Radial class and now sails in the ILCA 6 class. Marit is also a champion in joining the Olympics as she participated 4x so far and won all types of medals, including gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics, silver at the London 2012 and bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This Paris 2024 Olympics she even scored a golden medal before the actual medal race had started. A true sailing champion!

The Dutch also showed their sailing skills in the windsurfing class. Windsurfing became part of the Olympic Summer Games in 1984 and the first Olympic champion was Dutchman Stephan van den Berg.

In 2024, the windsurf class was replaced by the windfoling class, making the sports even more spectacular as the board is lifted from the waters by a foil underneath. A the Paris Olympics 2024, yet another Dutchman made it to the finals – Luuc van Opzeeland scored a bronze medal.

Another variation is the Formula Kite whereby a surfer is using a kite to surf the waters. In this new class, yet another Dutch representative won a (bronze) medal: Annelous Lammerts.

Outside the Olympics, one of the most remarkable Dutch sailing success stories is that of Laura Dekker, a Dutch teenager who made history in 2012. At just 14 years old, she became the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world. Her incredible journey is a testament to Dutch sailing talent and determination. I’ve featured her at the top of this blog.

Team NL Rowing Success

The Dutch rowing team, known as Team NL, has won many medals at the Olympics. Karolien Florijn, a new star in Dutch rowing, won her first Olympic medal recently. She is part of a strong team that shows Dutch rowing is still one of the best in the world.

The Dutch rowing team, known as Team NL, has won many medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Karolien Florijn, a new star in Dutch rowing, won her first Olympic medal recently in single sculls (‘skiff’ in Dutch). Interesting detail: Karolien and her brother Finn, are children of the famous Ronald Florijn who was a two-fold Olympic champion. He won gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics double two, and again gold in 1996 Atlanta in the Holland Eight. Ronald today is coaching a new team of coastal rowers, a sport that will be introduced on the 2028 LA Olympics! There must be something in their genes!

The Dutch men rowers at the 2024 Paris Olympics won the quadruple sculls final and the women’s four won gold too. The ladies quadruple just lost to Team GB by a few centimeters. The men’s eight rowing team also had great success, finishing second at the recent Olympics.

Conclusion

The Dutch are successful in water sports because of their deep connection to water, early training, and commitment to being the best. Whether rowing in canals or sailing in big competitions, Dutch athletes like Marit Bouwmeester and Karolien Florijn lead the way. The future of Dutch aquatic sports looks very bright.

If you’re interested in Dutch culture, sports, and language, be sure to explore the private tutor options with Flowently! Your Dutch tutor will not only teach you the language but also give you insights into how we approach our sports.