Pieter Jan Postma
Encyclopedia
Pieter Jan Postma is a Dutch
sailor.
The first seventeen years of his life Postma spends in Terkaple
, a tiny village in Friesland
. He has a four year older sister and a two year younger sister. He was an outdoor interested kid and spent a lot of time playing football
, tennis
, speed skating
and sailing
.
At the age of fifteen he took part in his first European Championship which he sailed in the Optimist class and in the same year he also took part in the World Championship in Dublin. He switched to the Laser Radial
class and already came up with some decent results on that level, however international results were not as notable yet. A year later he made another change to the Laser
class and during this period he spends 50 percent of his time on sailing at Terschelling
. In December 2000 he participated in the World Junior Laser Championship in Sydney
and reached the 10th position. At the Senior World Championship he finished in 58th position and at the European Championship he reached the 21st spot. Between September 2002 and February 2003 he spend six months at sea due to an internship for school. After his return he weighed 86 kg (190 lb), which was 8 kg (18 lb) more than before the internship and he had to go on a diet and then started to prepare for the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
.
Postma decided to go to Australia
for four months and temporary set his education on hold. Together with Tom Slingby (the 2007 World Champion) and Michael Blackburn (the 2006 World Champion) he trained every day on the Australian waters and at his return in the Netherlands he beat all his Dutch opponents during the selection races. During the World Championship he came within reach for an Olympic ticket with only one more race to go. Eventually this was the crucial race as he only finished in 13th position that race, which threw him down in the rankings and as a result he missed the Olympic qualification. Despite the failure he still participated and won in the Sneekweek and he also became Dutch National Champion. He tried to qualify to become a crew member during the Volvo Ocean Race
for which the qualification procedure was held in Porti Mao. He got nervous and in the end he just missed the qualification.
In March 2005 he switched to the Finn
class and he started his study again. The training sessions went correct, but during the World Championship he lacked concentration and ended up in 26th position. In the beginning of 2006 he finished his study and now he was able to focus completely on his sailing career. He started training every day and traveled on his own to Split
, Athens
, Palma de Mallorca
and Hyeres
. Besides the physical part of the training sessions he also spent more time on the mental part, and the progression was visible. At the World Championship he reached the 12th position. He appointed a coach, got several sponsors and found himself a girlfriend. 2007 turned out to be his breakthrough year with a sixth place in Miami, a second place in Fort Lauderdale, a third place in Palma de Mallorca, a 7th in Hyeres and a second spot in Medemblik
. Then at the World Championship he won the silver medal as he did at the Pre-Olympic races. In 2008 he placed fourth at the World Championship and he also reached the fourth position in Hyeres and Medemblik. This all resulted in qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
.
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.
The first seventeen years of his life Postma spends in Terkaple
Terkaple
Terkaple is a small village in Skarsterlân in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 220 citizens ....
, a tiny village in Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
. He has a four year older sister and a two year younger sister. He was an outdoor interested kid and spent a lot of time playing football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
and sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
.
At the age of fifteen he took part in his first European Championship which he sailed in the Optimist class and in the same year he also took part in the World Championship in Dublin. He switched to 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...
class and already came up with some decent results on that level, however international results were not as notable yet. A year later he made another change to the Laser
Laser (dinghy)
The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes...
class and during this period he spends 50 percent of his time on sailing at Terschelling
Terschelling
Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands, one of the West Frisian Islands.Waddenislanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts...
. In December 2000 he participated in the World Junior Laser Championship in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and reached the 10th position. At the Senior World Championship he finished in 58th position and at the European Championship he reached the 21st spot. Between September 2002 and February 2003 he spend six months at sea due to an internship for school. After his return he weighed 86 kg (190 lb), which was 8 kg (18 lb) more than before the internship and he had to go on a diet and then started to prepare 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...
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...
.
Postma decided to go to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for four months and temporary set his education on hold. Together with Tom Slingby (the 2007 World Champion) and Michael Blackburn (the 2006 World Champion) he trained every day on the Australian waters and at his return in the Netherlands he beat all his Dutch opponents during the selection races. During the World Championship he came within reach for an Olympic ticket with only one more race to go. Eventually this was the crucial race as he only finished in 13th position that race, which threw him down in the rankings and as a result he missed the Olympic qualification. Despite the failure he still participated and won in the Sneekweek and he also became Dutch National Champion. He tried to qualify to become a crew member during the Volvo Ocean Race
Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three years. It is named after its current owner, Volvo...
for which the qualification procedure was held in Porti Mao. He got nervous and in the end he just missed the qualification.
In March 2005 he switched to the Finn
Finn
Finn is commonly used to refer to a member of the Finn ethnic group or a citizen of Finland.a name* Finn , a Frisian King, who appears in Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg...
class and he started his study again. The training sessions went correct, but during the World Championship he lacked concentration and ended up in 26th position. In the beginning of 2006 he finished his study and now he was able to focus completely on his sailing career. He started training every day and traveled on his own to 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...
, 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...
, Palma de Mallorca
Palma de Mallorca
Palma is the major city and port on the island of Majorca and capital city of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The names Ciutat de Mallorca and Ciutat were used before the War of the Spanish Succession and are still used by people in Majorca. However, the official name...
and Hyeres
Hyères
Hyères , Provençal Occitan: Ieras in classical norm or Iero in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
. Besides the physical part of the training sessions he also spent more time on the mental part, and the progression was visible. At the World Championship he reached the 12th position. He appointed a coach, got several sponsors and found himself a girlfriend. 2007 turned out to be his breakthrough year with a sixth place in Miami, a second place in Fort Lauderdale, a third place in Palma de Mallorca, a 7th in Hyeres and a second spot in Medemblik
Medemblik
Medemblik is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia.- History :...
. Then at the World Championship he won the silver medal as he did at the Pre-Olympic races. In 2008 he placed fourth at the World Championship and he also reached the fourth position in Hyeres and Medemblik. This all resulted in 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...
.