- Date of birth06 Apr 1995
- Height173 CM
- ProfessionAthlete
- HometownHeerenveen
- Place of birthHeerenveen
- Start skatingShe began skating at age six.
- Club Team Jumbo-Visma: Netherlands
- HobbiesRiding horses. (dehoefslag.nl, 23 Dec 2016)
- LanguagesDutch, English
- FamliyHusband Coen Rijpma
- CoachGerard van Velde
- Former CoachN/A
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
"Go hard or go home." (Athlete, 28 Jan 2017)
Dutch speed skater and coach Rutger Tijssen. (Athlete, 28 Jan 2017)
Her parents. (Athlete, 23 Nov 2018)
She was dealing with back pain at the 2023 World Cup event in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland. (schaatsen.nl, 05 Mar 2023)
- Bronze in 1500m and Team Pursuit, 5th in 1000m and 8th in 3000m at 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing
- Bronze in 3000m and silver in Team Pursuit at 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang
- 7th in 3000m at Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi
- Gold in 3000m at 2021 ISU World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen
- Gold in 1500m at 2023 ISU World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen
- World Champion in Team Pursuit in 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2025
- Won a total of four silver medals at ISU World Single Distance Championships
- European Allround Champion in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025
(isu-skating.com/speed-skating December 2025)
- Bronze in 3000m and silver in Team Pursuit at 2018 Olympic Games in PyeongChang
- 7th in 3000m at Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi
- Gold in 3000m at 2021 ISU World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen
- Gold in 1500m at 2023 ISU World Single Distance Championships in Heerenveen
- World Champion in Team Pursuit in 2016, 2017, 2021 and 2025
- Won a total of four silver medals at ISU World Single Distance Championships
- European Allround Champion in 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025
(isu-skating.com/speed-skating December 2025)
EQUESTRIAN
She was a talented horse rider in her youth, and considered pursuing a career in equestrian sport before she started focusing on speed skating. "I got my first pony when I was four. I loved speed skating, but I used to consider equestrian my number one sport. When I was young I was able to do both sports, but at age 15 I had to make a choice. It was just too much of a good thing. Sometimes I had two competitions in one day and I almost fainted on the ice with fatigue because I had to get up so early. I chose speed skating at the time, because I couldn't delay a speed skating career. If I wanted it, I had to do it straight away. But in the back of my mind I always kept the option open to return to equestrian, which I will definitely do after my speed skating career is over." (isu.org, 17 Jan 2018)
FAMILY SPORT
Her younger sister Michelle has also represented the Netherlands in speed skating. "We got such competitiveness from our parents. My parents were pretty high in equestrian sport. They were very passionate about it. We couldn't stand our losses, that's why we didn't play games anymore. I didn't like it [when she or her sister was identified as 'the sister of' by commentators]. It is not necessary to say that every time. Everyone is different, everyone is special." (schaatsen.nl, 11 Oct 2019)
She was a talented horse rider in her youth, and considered pursuing a career in equestrian sport before she started focusing on speed skating. "I got my first pony when I was four. I loved speed skating, but I used to consider equestrian my number one sport. When I was young I was able to do both sports, but at age 15 I had to make a choice. It was just too much of a good thing. Sometimes I had two competitions in one day and I almost fainted on the ice with fatigue because I had to get up so early. I chose speed skating at the time, because I couldn't delay a speed skating career. If I wanted it, I had to do it straight away. But in the back of my mind I always kept the option open to return to equestrian, which I will definitely do after my speed skating career is over." (isu.org, 17 Jan 2018)
FAMILY SPORT
Her younger sister Michelle has also represented the Netherlands in speed skating. "We got such competitiveness from our parents. My parents were pretty high in equestrian sport. They were very passionate about it. We couldn't stand our losses, that's why we didn't play games anymore. I didn't like it [when she or her sister was identified as 'the sister of' by commentators]. It is not necessary to say that every time. Everyone is different, everyone is special." (schaatsen.nl, 11 Oct 2019)
As a child she took part in pony riding competitions, and won two national titles in the sport. She has also competed in road cycling. (teamjumbovisma.nl, 01 Oct 2022; Instagram profile, 07 Sep 2022; frieschdagblad.nl, 21 Oct 2010)
"When I was little we had natural ice in Friesland [Netherlands] and there was a canal at the back of our house where I used to go skating. When I first got onto the ice, my parents wanted me to skate behind a chair, but I did not want that chair because I knew how to skate instantly. People asked me to join a race at Thialf. That's how I started speed skating."
Gerard van Velde
