Next stop, Paris! The Netherlands has confirmed that it will be taking its largest-ever team to the 2024 Summer Olympics, with a total of 47 athletes competing in track and field events. Here’s the lowdown on who’s going, and who could be in with a chance of winning a medal. 

47 Dutch athletes heading to Paris for Olympic Games 2024

The Royal Dutch Athletics Association this week released details of its official squad for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and it’s the largest ever taken by the Netherlands to a Summer Olympics. In all, 275 athletes will be representing the Netherlands in sports including athletics, basketball, cycling, equestrian, field hockey, gymnastics, rowing, sailing, swimming, tennis and volleyball. The biggest group of which will be the 47 athletes competing in track and field events. 

At the Tokyo Olympic Games three years ago (which was postponed from 2020), the athletes representing the Netherlands brought home a record haul of 36 medals: 10 gold, 12 silver, and 14 bronze, including two gold medals for Sifan Hassan in the 5.000- and 10.000-metre races, bronze for Femke Bol in the 400-metre hurdles, and silver in the men’s 4x400 metre relay race.

The selection of the Dutch Olympics team has not gone without controversy, however, after the news that a convicted child rapist, Steven van de Velde, had been picked for the Dutch volleyball team was met with criticism in some quarters. Van de Velde was convicted in the UK in 2016 and imprisoned there before being transferred to the Netherlands. 

Responding to criticism, the Olympics ruling body said the selection of teams is entirely down to the National Olympic Committee (NOC) in the Netherlands. The Dutch volleyball confederation (Nevebo) said in a statement to Reuters that it had discussed Van de Velde’s selection with the NOC and that it “fully support[s] him and his participation in Paris.”

Who is the Netherlands’ best chance of winning a medal? 

Bol, the winner of multiple world and European athletics championships, and two-time Olympic champion Hassan, will likely attract the most attention at the Paris games. Bol is competing in the 400-metre hurdles race, while Hassan will go for gold in either the 1.500, 5.000 or 10.000-metre races, or the marathon. She is yet to confirm exactly which races she will take part in. 

Jessica Schilder, a European champion shot putter, and Jorinde van Klinken, who recently won silver in both shot put and discus at the European championships in Rome, also stand good chances of getting on the medal podium. Hopes are also high for both the men’s and women’s relay teams.

The Paris Olympics take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024. 

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