The 2024 Paris Olympics were a great success for TeamNL. In fact, the Netherlands finished sixth on the overall medal table, higher than ever before, thanks to 15 golds – also more than ever. The Netherlands not only demonstrated its sporting potential at these Games, but also strengthened its status as one of the leading sports countries in the world. With an impressive number of medals, TeamNL showed that it can compete at the highest level. Below is an overview of the most important achievements.
Gold medals
Harrie Lavreysen – Track cycling king Harrie Lavreysen was once again unbeatable on the track. He successfully defended his title in both the sprint, team sprint and keirin, winning three gold medals. Harrie’s Hattrick is completed! Lavreysen showed his class and dominance in one of the most fiercely contested disciplines of the Games, further confirming his status as one of the best track cyclists of all time.
Sifan Hassan – Sifan Hassan made history by winning gold in the marathon. After her bronze medals on the middle distances (5000 and 10000 metres), Hassan proved her world class in the longest running event of the Games. It was a heroic race, in which she passed her last competitor in an impressive sprint. It’s unique for a runner to compete both in track running and the marathon, but if anyone can do it, it’s Sifan, who now has three Olympic gold medals in total, as well as a silver and two bronze.
Hockey – The Dutch once again confirmed its reputation as a top nation in field hockey. Both the women’s and men’s teams won gold, an achievement never before reached by any country. Although both teams left no doubt about their superiority in the finals, this was not expressed in the scores, and both matches needed a penalty shootout to achieve victory.
Sharon van Rouwendaal – Open water swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal won gold in the 10 km race in the Seine – despite being sick after swimming in the dirty river the day before. In a perfectly executed race, she managed to win gold again, which confirmed her status as one of the best open water swimmers in the world. She dedicated the award to won silver in Tokyo.
Marit Bouwmeester – Sailer Marit Bouwmeester added another gold medal to her impressive list of achievements. In the Ilca6 (dinghy) class, she dominated the competition again and crossed the finish line first in the decisive final race. After her previous gold medal in 2016, silver in 2012 and bronze in 2021, she is now the most successful sailor in the history of the Olympics.
Team sprint men –The Dutch men’s team sprint in track cycling put in a great performance by winning the gold medal. The trio, consisting of Harrie Lavreysen, Jeffrey Hoogland and Roy van den Berg, was once again in a class of its own and defeated their competitors with ease.
3×3 Basketball – The Dutch men’s 3×3 basketball team made history by winning the gold medal. The final secured one of the iconic moments in sport: with just one second on the clock, Worthy de Jong made the two-pointer that secured his team the victory and made 3×3 basketball a popular sport overnight.
Mixed relay – In the mixed relay (4×400 meters), TeamNL showed how strong the collective can be. In a nerve-wracking race with strong competition, Femke Bol’s now-famous final lap secured the gold.
Karolien Florijn – Rower Karolien Florijn confirmed her status as one of the best rowers in the world by winning gold in the skiff. Her race was a showcase of strength and technique, giving her opponents no chance.
Odile van Aanholt & Annette Duetz – In the 49erFX class, sailors Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz showed their excellent sailing skills. After a consistently strong series of races, they captured the gold medal.
Ymkje Clevering & Veronique Meester – Rowing duo Clevering and Meester were unbeatable in their women’s pair races. With their perfect teamwork and powerful rowing, they convincingly won the gold – for Clevering this was the second Olympic medal, after winning silver in the fours three years ago.
Women’s Four – The Dutch women’s four rowers managed a phenomenal race. With a perfect balance between strength and technique, they managed to stay ahead of their competitors – but by a tiny margin of 0,18 seconds, making for a thrilling final.
Men’s Quadruple Sculls – The men’s quadruple sculls team completed their gold medal haul with a stunning victory. In a thrilling final, they only just managed to stay ahead of their rivals, bringing the first gold medal of these Games to the Netherlands.
Silver medals
Women’s 4x400m Relay – The Dutch women’s 4x400m relay team ran a great race, but ultimately had to settle for silver. In a thrilling final, the USA women was simply in a class of their own, but the Dutch managed to reach silver after another stunning sprint by athletics queen Femke Bol.
Hetty van der Wouw – Hetty van der Wouw, known as Hetty Rocketty, took silver in the keirin on the cycling track. Her performance confirmed the dominance of the Netherlands in track cycling, but she herself is a rather new talent, so this medal was certainly a great surprise.
Marianne Vos – Marianne Vos added another medal to her impressive career, this time taking silver in the cycling road race. Despite a strong attack in the final kilometres, she was overtaken just before the finish, but her fighting spirit and experience still earned her a well-deserved second place.
Men’s Eight – The men’s eight – and their female pilot – rowed a strong final and finished in second place. Great Britain, another famous rowing nation, was just too strong to beat.
Manon Veenstra – In the BMX, Manon Veenstra managed to win and unexpected silver, since she was not a favourite for gold. In an intense race, her aggressive style and determination earned her a great second place.
Melvin Twellaar & Stef Broenink – The Dutch duo in the mens’ double scull rowed a great race and finished in second place. A bit disappointing perhaps, as they were the gold favourites, having won almost everything in the last two years. Still, the Romanian team – not a strong rowing nation – managed to surprise the Dutch in the final.
Women’s Quadruple Scull – The women’s quadruple scull rowed their way to a silver medal. The race was a proper classic: the Dutch were ahead for the whole race, but beaten in the last few metres by Great Britain.
Bronze medals
Noortje & Bregje de Brouwer – Twin sisters Noortje and Bregje de Brouwer won a historic bronze medal in synchronized swimming – the first Dutch medal ever in this discipline. With their perfectly coordinated routines and artistic flair, based on a Van Gogh theme, they impressed the judges.
Water Polo Women – The Dutch women’s water polo team won a bronze medal after an intense battle in the semi-final. The final was just as exciting: the Dutch were behind for the whole match, but managed to score the winning goal with just two seconds left on the clock.
Lisa van Bellen & Maike van der Duin – In the madison, the most chaotic discipline in track cycling, the duo Lisa van Bellen and Maike van der Duin won bronze. This was quite unexpected, as they have only recently started training together. Their delight after the finish was therefore well-deserved.
Femke Bol – Femke Bol added a bronze medal to the Dutch collection with her strong performance in the 400m hurdles. Bol, who is known for her explosiveness and endurance, showed once again why she is one of the best hurdlers in the world. Yet, she had been hyped for a gold medal in this discipline, and bronze was therefore a disappointment to herself and the nation. Still, the Netherlands loves Femke!
Luuc van Opzeeland – Luuc van Opzeeland won bronze in the new foil surfing class, a spectacular new discipline of speed and bravery. Luuc’s excellent technique and perseverance ensured that he reached the podium in one of the most challenging sailing classes.
Simon van Dorp – Rower Simon van Dorp took bronze in the skiff. With his strong physical strength and technical finesse, he managed to leave his opponents behind him in the last metres of the race.
Tes Schouten & Caspar Corbeau – Tes Schouten and Caspar Corbeau both won bronze in the 200 m breaststroke. Their performances in the pool confirmed the strong position of the Netherlands in international swimming; however, other favourites for a medal did not perform well, leading to a critical evaluation by the Dutch swimming association.
Conclusion
The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris are a huge triumph for TeamNL. With an impressive total of 34 medals, including 15 golds, Dutch athletes have once again proven that they belong to the absolute top. Their achievements are a source of pride for the entire country; upon returning home, the victorious athletes were received by the king and queen (who were also enthusiastic supporters in Paris) and awarded a Royal Honour. With so many success stories, it is clear that the Netherlands remains a force to be reckoned with in the world of sports.