After an undeniably slow and disappointing start to the 2021 Olympics, the Netherlands crawled its way up the medals table on day five, claiming two golds, three silvers, and two bronze medals within the span of only a few hours.

The Dutch Olympic teams wins seven medals in one day

While the Netherlands has sent its largest-ever Olympic team and had its sights set on a record-breaking 33 medals, the first few days in Tokyo left many sporting fans concerned. After failing to secure a medal in the men’s cross country cycling or the men’s road race, a disastrous case of miscommunication saw firm favourite Annemiek van Vleuten finish second in the women’s road race.

With only three medals in four days, the Netherlands occupied 31st place on the medal table - but not for long, as Dutch athletes came out fighting on day five. In the women’s time trials, Van Vleuten took a convincing lead, ultimately claiming gold, with another Dutchie - Anna van der Breggen - coming in third. In the men’s time trial, Tom Dumoulin took silver.

While the Dutch are known for their skills on two wheels, success also came on the water on Wednesday, in the form of one bronze medal, two silver medals, and the Netherlands’ first gold medal of the tournament - all for rowing. With a total of 10 medals, the Netherlands now occupies ninth place in the medal table, sandwiched between France and Canada.

More Olympic success for the Netherlands on the way?

The good news doesn’t stop there. In the pool, Arno Kamminga has qualified for Thursday’s 200-metre breaststroke final. So far, the 25-year-old has already claimed silver for the 100-metre breaststroke. Boxer Nouchka Fontijn is also fighting for a medal, and has qualified for the middleweight quarter-finals. Fontijn stands a good chance; she’s currently number two in the world and claimed gold in Rio in 2016. 

The women’s hockey team continues to chase their fourth Olympic title, securing a spot in the quarter-finals after beating South Africa 5 - 0. The men aren’t too far behind, beating Canada 4 - 2 in their third match of the group stage. The team is now ranked second in their pool, and will face off against Great Britain on Thursday.

In the dojo, one Dutch judoka is also in with a chance of taking home a medal on Wednesday, as Sanne van Dijke fights for bronze. Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud (and their horses) also go for gold in the dressage on Wednesday morning. Any more medal success on Wednesday will see the Netherlands break its medal record from 1928, when the country won four golds, one silver, and two bronzes in just one day.

EDIT: Sanne van Dijke took bronze in the Women's 70kg judo on Wednesday afternoon, providing the Netherlands with its eighth medal of the day and breaking the day-record from 1928. The Netherlands now has 11 medals.