Team NL aiming for top 10 spot in Milan; says IOC has final say on Trump's trans ban

The Netherlands is aiming to finish in the top 10 at Olympic Winter Games in Milan. This is a prediction made by the NOC*NSF, the umbrella organization for sports in the Netherlands, and was reported by their director of top-level sport, André Cats. The organization also said that the decision to ban transgender athlete's is up to the Olympics Organizing Comittee, after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning transgender athlete's from entering the US for the games in Los Angeles in 2028.

The last time that TeamNL finished outside of the top 10 in the Winter Games was in 1994 in Lillehammer. Since then, the team has finished sixth (Nagano, 1998), ninth (Salt Lake City, 2002), tenth (Turin, 2006), tenth (Vancouver, 2010), fifth (Sochi, 2014), fifth (Pyeongchang,2018), and sixth (Beijing, 2022).

In addition to a top 10 spot, the NOC*NSF also has seven other targets: winning medals, inspiring stories, returning home as close friends, contributing to the olympic movement, sustainable representation, positive attitude towards sport, and optimal fan experiences.

The team is expecting to take 40 athletes to the games. TeamNL took 41 athletes to the Winter Games in Beijing four years ago. The long-track skaters will be a large part of the Dutch representation, as is usually the case, followed by the short-track skaters. “We are definitely counting on a delegation from snowboarding and skeleton again, and the prospects for bobsleigh are also hopeful," said Cats, who is having a relatively carefree run-up to Milan.

"No, there are no major concerns. We are looking forward to these Olympic Games with a lot of energy. We know that there has to be a lot of fighting and competing for medals. It is becoming increasingly competitive,” Cats said

The next Olympic event after the Winter Olympics is the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. But although the event is years away, controversy and issues have already arisen after United States President Donald Trump wrote an executive order to not grant a visa to any transgender athletes who are planning on participating in the games. The Transgender Netwerk has responded to this by telling the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to distance themselves from these plans.

“Together with the NOC*NSF, we have been working on making sport in the Netherlands inclusive, and we hope that transgender sporters continue to enjoy themselves and celebrate successes, just like any other sporter does,” the network said.

The NOC*NSF had said on Thursday that they were aware of Trump’s comments. “It is up to the organizing committee and the IOC to decide who participates in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, based on the rules of qualification which have been agreed upon with the international sporting federations.”

Trump does not only want to ban transgender athletes from entering the country to compete, he also wants to ban these athletes from American sporting competitions in the country. “The obsession of the White House with transgender people seems to know no bounds. This is the 11th Executive Order against transgender people in two weeks.” The network said.

“Trans people are having their passports taken off them, their access to good healthcare is being taken away, and not to their opportunity to play sports with their friends and classmates.” The Transgender Netwerk said, who also added that they have been watching the events in horror.