- Date of birth22 Jan 2004
- HeightN/A
- ProfessionAthlete
- HometownHeerenveen
- Place of birthGroningen
- Start skatingHe began skating at age seven.
- Club Team Reggeborgh: Netherlands
- Hobbies"Watching sci-fi movies, drinking coffee with my friends. I play Call of Duty with my teammates as well, Kjeld (Nuis) and Tim (Prins). We are always online at the same time which is nice. But most of the time I am just resting between training. Rest and repeat." (Athlete, December 2025)
- LanguagesDutch, English
- CoachGerard van Velde
- Former CoachN/A
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
In 2022 he was named Talent of the Year in Short Track by the Royal Dutch Speed Skating Federation [KNSB]. (schaatsen.nl, 28 Oct 2022)
"There is no perfection in art but attaining perfection in your art is still the goal." (Athlete, December 2025)
"Virgil van Djik. I like Liverpool but I also like the interviews he gives and the leadership he promotes." (Athlete, December 2025)
"My host parents when I moved to Heerenveen. I went when I was 14 to Heerenveen for speed skating and I lived together with my host parents with Angel Daleman for one-and-a-half years. She is kind of like my skating sister. My Mum and Dad and my friends from my hometown (Groningen) are really important too." (Athlete, December 2025)
Illness prevented him from competing at the 2023 Short Track World Junior Championships in Dresden, Germany. (schaatsen.nl, 14 Apr 2023)
"The same as every other ice skater, Olympic gold." (Athlete, December 2025)
- Won 500m gold and 1000m silver at the 2025 ISU World Speed Skating Single Distances Championships.
- Won silver at the 2024 ISU World Speed Skating Sprint Championships.
Won gold at the 2025 ISU European Sprint Speed Skating Championships . BR/>
- Won 500m gold and 1000m silver at the 2024 ISU European Speed Skating Championships.
(isu-skating.com/speed-skating, December 2025)
- Won silver at the 2024 ISU World Speed Skating Sprint Championships.
Won gold at the 2025 ISU European Sprint Speed Skating Championships . BR/>
- Won 500m gold and 1000m silver at the 2024 ISU European Speed Skating Championships.
(isu-skating.com/speed-skating, December 2025)
SWITCHING TO LONG TRACK
After emerging as a top competitor in the junior ranks in short track, in 2023 he joined Dutch speed skating team Reggeborgh after being spotted by renowned coach Gerard van Velde. “It's not that I don't like short track anymore, because I have a lot of fun in both disciplines. But I have the feeling that I have already given 100 percent to short track. I am curious about what I can achieve if I fully commit to speed skating. I am incredibly proud that I will be racing for this team. There are a few tall skaters who can handle short distances well. I am also a long sprinter myself, so that fits in nicely. I am curious to see how my development will progress. Maybe I will soon be more of a rider for medium distances instead of 500 and 1000 metres. It is really a different sport than short track. I will see what suits me best.” (schaatsen.nl, 14 Apr 2023; volkskrant.nl, 30 Dec 2023)
HEIGHT
He is 1.95 metres tall. He says his short track experience has helped him with the turns in speed skating. "It remains difficult to control the bends with such a large body, but I can do that well. I think I'm here thanks to my short track experience." He also is known for wearing longer blades on his skates compared to other skaters. “I'm quite tall. The longer the blades, the more pressure you have to deliver. I'm quite strong, that suits me well. More surface area, more grip.” (volkskrant.nl, 30 Dec 2023; schaatsen.nl, 05 Jan 2024)
STUDY BREAK
He began studying medicine in Groningen, Netherlands, but decided to put his studies on hold in 2023 to focus on his sporting career after consulting with his coaches and parents. (schaatsen.nl, 28 Oct 2022)
After emerging as a top competitor in the junior ranks in short track, in 2023 he joined Dutch speed skating team Reggeborgh after being spotted by renowned coach Gerard van Velde. “It's not that I don't like short track anymore, because I have a lot of fun in both disciplines. But I have the feeling that I have already given 100 percent to short track. I am curious about what I can achieve if I fully commit to speed skating. I am incredibly proud that I will be racing for this team. There are a few tall skaters who can handle short distances well. I am also a long sprinter myself, so that fits in nicely. I am curious to see how my development will progress. Maybe I will soon be more of a rider for medium distances instead of 500 and 1000 metres. It is really a different sport than short track. I will see what suits me best.” (schaatsen.nl, 14 Apr 2023; volkskrant.nl, 30 Dec 2023)
HEIGHT
He is 1.95 metres tall. He says his short track experience has helped him with the turns in speed skating. "It remains difficult to control the bends with such a large body, but I can do that well. I think I'm here thanks to my short track experience." He also is known for wearing longer blades on his skates compared to other skaters. “I'm quite tall. The longer the blades, the more pressure you have to deliver. I'm quite strong, that suits me well. More surface area, more grip.” (volkskrant.nl, 30 Dec 2023; schaatsen.nl, 05 Jan 2024)
STUDY BREAK
He began studying medicine in Groningen, Netherlands, but decided to put his studies on hold in 2023 to focus on his sporting career after consulting with his coaches and parents. (schaatsen.nl, 28 Oct 2022)
He has competed in both short track and speed skating at international level. He represented Netherlands in short track at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. He has also competed in inline skating at national level in Netherlands. (SportsDeskOnline, 08 Jan 2024; schaatsen.nl, 14 Apr 2023)
He first tried playing rugby before focusing on skating. He initially combined short track and speed skating with inline skating. In 2023 he began focusing more on speed skating.
Gerard van Velde
