14 medals in one week; overview of the Netherlands’ Olympic success this week

After a slow start in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo last week, with a number of promising athletes having to sit out the Games due to a positive coronavirus test, the Netherlands shot up to number eight on the medal count list of all nations participating in the event. In total, the Netherlands now has 16 medals: four gold, seven silver and five bronze.

There is still just over a week’s worth of competitions remaining. The Tokyo Olympic Games will conclude on August 8.

The most recent medal was scored on Saturday when windsurfer Kiran Badloe took home gold in the RS:X division. Badloe was considered one of the most consistent Olympic windsurfers, finishing in the top five in ten out of twelve races this week.

On Monday, Arno Kamminga came in second in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke.

Wednesday exceeded all expectations when the Netherlands won a total of eight medals in one day; Team Oranje’s most successful day in the Olympics since 1928. Six of the medals were won in the span of three hours.

Annemiek van Vleuten achieved a gold medal in the road time trial on top of winning a silver medal in the women’s individual race on Sunday. “The road to where I am now began in 2016. I am very proud to be here today in my best shape ever”, Van Vleuten told NOS. Gold was also brought home by the men’s rowing team in quadruple sculls.

The men’s double sculls team came in second, as did the women’s rowing team in the coxless four, and Tom Dumoulin in the road cycling time trial. Bronze went to women’s rowing team double sculls, Anna van der Breggen in the road cycling time trial and Sanne van Dijk in Judo.

Swimmer, Arno Kamminga, secured a second silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke on Thursday with a time of 2:07.01. Kamminga was in the lead for a long time, before being overtaken in the end by Australian Izaac Stubblety-Cook. That same day the women’s rowing team achieved third place in the lightweight double sculls.

On Friday, Niek Kimmann brought home the Netherlands’ first Olympic gold medal in BMX racing. At the beginning of the week, Kimmann had sustained a knee injury when he collided with an official at full force. “We always had a dream and that was gold for the Netherlands. And that dream came true”, Kimmann told NOS. Merel Smulders got a bronze medal in the women’s BMX race that same day.

A silver medal was also won by the mixed team in archery last Saturday.