Royal couple and new Cabinet celebrate Olympic success with athletes in The Hague

Prime Minister Rob Jetten hopes that young people will engage more in sports and physical activity. “Then perhaps they will be the Olympic champions of the future,” Jetten said ahead of the celebration for Olympic medal winners in The Hague, which was also attended by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.

The new prime minister highlighted that the coalition agreement includes additional funding to boost sports and physical activity over the coming years, focusing on grassroots initiatives. “The more young people we get active, the greater the chance that some of them will become Olympic champions in the future,” he said.

Jetten added that the Minister of Long-Term Care, Youth, and Sports will soon determine how the extra funding will be allocated. “We will also engage with NOC*NSF to ensure support for both Olympic and Paralympic sports in the years ahead,” he said.

Jetten confessed that during the past weeks of coalition negotiations, he had been “secretly” keeping up with Olympic events. Laughing, he told reporters, “But I didn’t make you wait for me unnecessarily. Whenever we had a moment, we tuned in just like millions of other Dutch people. I feel very lucky to be at the celebration of the Olympic athletes on only my second day in office.”

Asked about his favorite moments from the Olympics, Jetten highlighted the short-track team and Jorrit Bergsma, who claimed a gold medal at 40. “I thoroughly enjoyed the short-track team and how they supported each other throughout the Games. And winning a medal at 40, well, that certainly deserves a deep bow from me,” he remarked.

Minister of Long-Term Care, Youth and Sports Mirjam Sterk praised the Olympic medalists as “truly excellent examples and role models.” She did not comment on any plans for the future development of sports.

The new minister emphasized, “We already do a lot. We provide over 50 million euros to NOC*NSF and support our athletes. The government also ensures resources are available whenever a European Championship or World Cup is hosted here. Today, however, we are simply celebrating this wonderful day and the remarkable accomplishments of these athletes.”

Sterk shared that she had enjoyed following the Games on TV. “Whenever I could, since I was also preparing for the transition to the ministry. It was certainly nail-biting at times, and I felt very proud of the outstanding results.”

Olympic gold and silver medalist Femke Kok expressed her hope that she can inspire children. Kok described the Games as “great publicity for speed skating and sports overall.” She added, “You hope to encourage young children to be active, because the Olympics really come alive for people here in the Netherlands.”

Although she competed at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Kok described the Games in Italy as her “first real Olympics.” Reflecting on the strict COVID-19 protocols in China, she said, “Four years ago, there was no crowd, no family, and we were locked down in the Olympic Village. Beijing felt so different; this experience is definitely much better.”

In Italy, Kok experienced firsthand how much the Olympics were followed back home in the Netherlands. “I truly felt supported, especially by all the kind messages. Knowing that people were so involved was incredibly special and heartwarming,” she said.

Short-track siblings Jens and Melle van ’t Wout hope their Olympic achievements will help promote the sport. “I believe these Games represent an important step forward for its growth,” Jens van ’t Wout said.

The Van ’t Wout brothers are still excited by the attention after their Winter Olympics success in Italy. “No, we love sharing our story,” said Jens van ’t Wout, who won three gold medals and a bronze. “It’s also important for our sport. We want short-track skating to grow. Long-track skating is still much bigger, and we really want our sport to soar.”

Asked whether they would take the opportunity to request more funding for short-track from Jetten, the brothers declined. “That’s up to the federation, not us. We concentrate on skating,” they said with a laugh.

The brothers were also eager about their visit with the king. “It’s a bit nerve-wracking. I don’t want to make any mistakes or come across as disrespectful. We’ll just stick close to our teammate Xandra (Velzeboer) today, she’s really experienced in these situations,” they said.

Velzeboer, who claimed her first gold medal in Beijing four years ago, said, “I’ve been here before, and it’s always incredibly special to be received like this in the Netherlands. I’m really excited, it’s just as remarkable the second time around.”

The athlete who won two gold medals in Italy echoed the Van ’t Wout brothers’ optimism. “Our team had an incredibly successful Games, and I hope this can help the sport grow even further, so that more people can enjoy this amazing sport.”