Netherlands names 38-athlete team for Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics

The Dutch Olympic team will consist of 38 athletes for the Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. NOC*NSF revealed the full TeamNL roster on Tuesday, including snowboarder Glenn de Blois, who will compete in snowboard cross.

TeamNL’s 38 athletes will take part in six disciplines: long-track speed skating, short track, bobsleigh, skeleton, figure skating, and snowboarding. Michel Tsiba and Daria Danilova will be the first Dutch duo to represent the Netherlands in figure skating.

NOC*NSF confirmed to the Dutch Ski Association that Michelle Dekker, Melissa Peperkamp, Romy van Vreden, and Glenn de Blois have been selected for the Olympics. Earlier, the Dutch skating federation KNSB revealed that Itzhak de Laat will join as the fifth short tracker, replacing the still-recovering Daan Kos.

The Dutch team of 38 athletes comes close to matching the record of 41 competitors who represented the Netherlands at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

The Dutch Ski Association requested a discretionary spot for snowboard cross athlete Glenn de Blois. While his 22nd-place FIS ranking met the international criteria, it was two places below the Dutch national requirement. NOC*NSF reviewed his results and injury record and ultimately granted him qualification.

NOC*NSF also confirmed the selection of the four-man bobsleigh team on Monday, citing their strong potential to achieve a top-eight finish.

André Cats, NOC*NSF’s director of elite sports, praised the team: “This is a versatile and talented group that represents Dutch winter sports at the highest level. With this selection, I expect we have a strong chance of finishing in the top 10 of the medal table once more.”