Merel Witteveen
Encyclopedia
Merel Witteveen is a Dutch
sailor.
Witteveen started sailing in 1995 and competes in international level since 1999 where she started in the Optimist class. After a 19th position at the European Championship in Athens
she switched to the Europe
class, which was an Olympic class at that time.
In 2002 she became second at the Dutch national Championships and she repeated that in 2003. In between she won another silver medal at the European Junior Championship. A fourth silver medal was won at the United 4 sailing event. At the Open Week World Championships in Spain
she finished 9th and her next goal was to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics
, but these came to early and she failed to qualify. After the Olympics the Europe class was removed from the Olympic calendar and it was replaced by the Laser Radial
. After feeling disappointed about the choice of the IOC
Witteveen decided to change to that class. She became second in the Olympic Sailing Week in Split
and at the 2005 European Championship also in Croatia
she finished in 14th position. Due to a knee injury at the end of 2005 she was unable to sail in the 2006 season. In that year she finished her bachelor
of her Physics
and Astronomy
study at the University of Amsterdam. She also learned Spanish
and she traveled through South America
. During her study she was also a successful rower
as her and her student team mates of Nereus
won the rankings of first year students. She also won silver medals at the Henley Women's Regatta and the Head of the Charles in Boston
.
Despite the successes in rowing and in the Laser Radial Witteveen decided to sail with Lisa Westerhof in the 470
class and aim for qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
. This did not turn out to be a success, but she was added to a team of seven sailors that aimed and qualify for the Olympics in the yngling
class. In July 2008 national coach Maurice Paardekooper selected Witteveen, Mandy Mulder
and Annemieke Bes
as the trio that will form the Dutch yngling boat at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Marije Faber, Renee Groeneveld, Marije Kampen and Brechtje van der Werf were not chosen in the team.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
sailor.
Witteveen started sailing in 1995 and competes in international level since 1999 where she started in the Optimist class. After a 19th position at the European Championship in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
she switched to the Europe
Europe (dinghy)
The Europe is a one-person dinghy designed in Belgium in 1960 by Alois Roland as a class legal Moth dinghy. The design later changed into its own one-design class....
class, which was an Olympic class at that time.
In 2002 she became second at the Dutch national Championships and she repeated that in 2003. In between she won another silver medal at the European Junior Championship. A fourth silver medal was won at the United 4 sailing event. At the Open Week World Championships in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
she finished 9th and her next goal was to qualify for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, but these came to early and she failed to qualify. After the Olympics the Europe class was removed from the Olympic calendar and it was replaced by the Laser Radial
Laser Radial
The Laser Radial is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy, originally built by Laser Performance. It is a singlehanded boat, meaning that it is sailed by one person. The Laser Radial is a variant of the Laser Standard, with shorter mast and reduced sail area, allowing light sailors to...
. After feeling disappointed about the choice of the IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
Witteveen decided to change to that class. She became second in the Olympic Sailing Week in Split
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
and at the 2005 European Championship also in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
she finished in 14th position. Due to a knee injury at the end of 2005 she was unable to sail in the 2006 season. In that year she finished her bachelor
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
of her Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
and Astronomy
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
study at the University of Amsterdam. She also learned Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and she traveled through South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. During her study she was also a successful rower
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
as her and her student team mates of Nereus
Nereus
In Greek mythology, Nereus was the eldest son of Pontus and Gaia , a Titan who with Doris fathered the Nereids, with whom Nereus lived in the Aegean Sea. In the Iliad the Old Man of the Sea is the father of Nereids, though Nereus is not directly named...
won the rankings of first year students. She also won silver medals at the Henley Women's Regatta and the Head of the Charles in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
.
Despite the successes in rowing and in the Laser Radial Witteveen decided to sail with Lisa Westerhof in the 470
470 (dinghy)
The 470 is a double-handed monohull planing dinghy with a centreboard, Bermuda rig, and centre sheeting. The name is the overall length of the boat in centimetres . The hull is fibreglass with integral buoyancy tanks. The 470 is equipped with spinnaker and trapeze, making teamwork necessary to...
class and aim for qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. This did not turn out to be a success, but she was added to a team of seven sailors that aimed and qualify for the Olympics in the yngling
Yngling (keelboat)
thumbA Yngling is a sailing boat which the International Yngling Association call an "agreeable cross between a planing dinghy and a keelboat." It can be regarded as a smaller version of the Soling although there are differences in sailing characteristics, proportion, and tuning requirements,...
class. In July 2008 national coach Maurice Paardekooper selected Witteveen, Mandy Mulder
Mandy Mulder
Mandy Mulder is a Dutch sailor.Mulder started sailing in 1995 and competes in international level since 2001 where she started in the Optimist class. At the European Championship in Gran Canaria she finished on a 10th position. She took part in the 2002 Laser 4.7 World Junior Championship where...
and Annemieke Bes
Annemieke Bes
Annemieke Marileen Bes is a Dutch sailor.Bes started sailing in 1990 and competed at Olympic international level since 1999 where she started in the Europe class...
as the trio that will form the Dutch yngling boat at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Marije Faber, Renee Groeneveld, Marije Kampen and Brechtje van der Werf were not chosen in the team.