Netherlands ends Paris Olympic Games with 34 medals

The Netherlands has won 34 medals at the Paris Olympic Games. After the gold for track cyclist Harrie Lavreysen, TeamNL cannot win more medals in Paris. In addition to Lavreysen, Sifan Hassan also won gold in the marathon on Sunday.

The Netherlands won 15 gold, 7 silver, and 12 bronze medals in these Olympics. The 15 gold medals are an improvement on the record set at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, when the Netherlands won 12 gold medals.

TeamNL caught up with Great Britain and moved to sixth place in the medal table. China leads the rankings with 40 gold medals, just ahead of the United States with 38. Japan (19), Australia (18), and France (16) are the other countries in the top five.

Hassan's fear to lose gold medal to Assefa

On Sunday afternoon, Sifan Hassan had to fear that she would lose her Olympic gold medal in the marathon. Second-placed Tigst Assefa from Ethiopia had filed a protest against the overtaking maneuver with which the Dutch left her behind in one of the last bends. However, the Olympic Games' media team announced that the protest was rejected.

Hassan and Assefa ran together for the last few hundred meters to the finish line on the Esplanade des Invalides. The Dutchwoman overtook Assefa on the inside bend and almost ran into the fences. Assefa saw this as an infringement of the rules. The protest has already been classified as unlikely.

The royal couple called Hassan's performance "phenomenal". The 31-year-old athlete also won bronze in the 5 and 10 kilometers. "In the run-up to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, Sifan Hassan dared to dream big and take on a unique challenge. Starting in both the 5 km and the 10 km and finishing with the Olympic marathon," the couple writes. "What a phenomenal end to her Olympic dream with a final sprint to the gold medal in the marathon. We congratulate her with this gold medal with great pride!"

Felicitatie van Koning Willem-Alexander en Koningin Máxima aan winnaars Olympisch goud Sifan Hassan en Harrie Lavreysen: https://t.co/I1gtbzQZFp pic.twitter.com/Uaz6j7F7w5

— Koninklijk Huis (@koninklijkhuis) August 11, 2024

The king and queen were also full of praise for Lavreysen. The 27-year-old track cyclist completed the so-called 'Harrie's Hattrick' on Sunday: winning the sprint, the team sprint and the keirin. "With three golds he has achieved 'Harrie's hat trick' at the Olympic Games, what a fantastic result!" they wrote.

Prince Pieter-Christiaan also reacted to Hassan's gold medal. "Sensational!!!!!!!! Olympic champion Sifan Hassan. Magical!!!," King Willem-Alexander's nephew wrote on Instagram.