Robert Lathouwers
Encyclopedia
Robert Lathouwers is a Dutch
athlete who mainly focuses on the 400
and 800 metres
.
and decathlon
meetings and was also invited to represent the Netherlands in international nation meetings. At the age of 17 he decided to fully concentrate himself at the sport and started training much more intensively. As the 400 metres was his best discipline in the decathlon he decided to focus on that and soon afterward he canceled his decathlon aspirations.
After a period of quiet and effective training sessions he broke his personal record to 48.55 seconds, which was the 3rd time ever run by a B-junior in the Netherlands. In his first year as an A-junior he ran 47.14 seconds and he qualified himself for the 2001 European Junior Championships in Italy
. The following year he suffered from several injuries, but still managed to break his personal record again to a time of 47.11 seconds. Due to this effort he qualified for the World Junior Championships in Jamaica
where he finished in the 9th position. He represented the Netherlands also at the European Cup meeting in Sevilla where he participated in the 4 x 400 metres relay
in which his team became third in a time of 3:06.23.
On 15 February 2003 he won his first national senior title at the Dutch Indoor Championships. Later that year during the Golden Spike meeting in Leiden he ran 46.78 and qualified himself for the European under-23 Championships in Bydgoszcz. Together with his team mates Jordy Hindriks, Peter Wolters and Jelle Heisen he also qualified for the 4 x 400 metres relay, running 3:08.95. At the European Championships Hindriks was replaced by Youssef el Rhalfioui and together they ran to a fourth position in a new Dutch under-23 record of 3:06.61. In 2005 he won his second indoor 400 metres title and later during the year he won his first outdoor title. Alongside Daniël Ward
, Daniël de Wild and Sjors Kampen he also won a bronze medal at the European Under-23 Championships in Erfurt
.
Lathouwers had a disappointing year in 2006 as he suffered from injuries and was almost drowned during swimming at sea. In December 2006 he was asked by Haag Atletiek to substitute one of their runners at the 800 metres. Lathouwers was sceptical about the distance however, as he never ran races longer than 400 metres. He eventually gave it a try and he was the first to cross the finish line in 1:51.57. Lathouwers made a huge change in his career and decided to focus on the 800 metres from then on and during a training session in South Africa
he ran the 800 metres in 1:47.81. In January 2008 he ran another race in South Africa in 1:46.70 and February during his first ever indoor 800 metres he ran 1:48.31, which was enough to qualify for the World Indoor Championships in Sevilla. A week later he became Dutch National Indoor Champion over 800 metres and during the outdoor season he also took this Dutch national title. At the World Championships he won his serie in the first round, which qualified him straight for the semi finals. In these semi finals he finished third behind Mbulaeni Mulaudzi
and Abubaker Kaki Khamis
and was eliminated. However, his time of 1:48.27 was another personal best. During the FBK
Games in Hengelo
he won the 800 metres impressively in 1:45.80, beating many World class runners, inclusive World Champion Alfred Yego
. His next goal was to qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics
and on 13 July in Athens
his 1:45.30 was only 0.05 short to break the Olympic limit. Then, on 29 July in Monaco
, he secured his Olympic debut by running an impressive 1:44.75 during the Super Grand-Prix meeting there. He was disqualified from the 800m heats in the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona.
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...
athlete who mainly focuses on the 400
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
and 800 metres
800 metres
The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
.
Biography
Lathouwers was born and raised in Rotterdam and has a sister who is two years older than he is named Maura. He started in athletics at the age of six, doing all different kinds of disciplines in the sport. He was a multi talented athlete and he won several heptathlonHeptathlon
A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...
and decathlon
Decathlon
The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...
meetings and was also invited to represent the Netherlands in international nation meetings. At the age of 17 he decided to fully concentrate himself at the sport and started training much more intensively. As the 400 metres was his best discipline in the decathlon he decided to focus on that and soon afterward he canceled his decathlon aspirations.
After a period of quiet and effective training sessions he broke his personal record to 48.55 seconds, which was the 3rd time ever run by a B-junior in the Netherlands. In his first year as an A-junior he ran 47.14 seconds and he qualified himself for the 2001 European Junior Championships in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The following year he suffered from several injuries, but still managed to break his personal record again to a time of 47.11 seconds. Due to this effort he qualified for the World Junior Championships in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
where he finished in the 9th position. He represented the Netherlands also at the European Cup meeting in Sevilla where he participated in the 4 x 400 metres relay
4 x 400 metres relay
The 4 x 400 meters relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams comprise four runners who each complete 400 meters or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the first 500 meters is run in lanes...
in which his team became third in a time of 3:06.23.
On 15 February 2003 he won his first national senior title at the Dutch Indoor Championships. Later that year during the Golden Spike meeting in Leiden he ran 46.78 and qualified himself for the European under-23 Championships in Bydgoszcz. Together with his team mates Jordy Hindriks, Peter Wolters and Jelle Heisen he also qualified for the 4 x 400 metres relay, running 3:08.95. At the European Championships Hindriks was replaced by Youssef el Rhalfioui and together they ran to a fourth position in a new Dutch under-23 record of 3:06.61. In 2005 he won his second indoor 400 metres title and later during the year he won his first outdoor title. Alongside Daniël Ward
Daniel Ward
Daniel Ward may refer to:*Daniel Ward , former Australian rules footballer with Melbourne Football Club*Daniel Ward , English amateur snooker player*Daniel Ward , British fiction writer-See also:...
, Daniël de Wild and Sjors Kampen he also won a bronze medal at the European Under-23 Championships in Erfurt
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
.
Lathouwers had a disappointing year in 2006 as he suffered from injuries and was almost drowned during swimming at sea. In December 2006 he was asked by Haag Atletiek to substitute one of their runners at the 800 metres. Lathouwers was sceptical about the distance however, as he never ran races longer than 400 metres. He eventually gave it a try and he was the first to cross the finish line in 1:51.57. Lathouwers made a huge change in his career and decided to focus on the 800 metres from then on and during a training session in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
he ran the 800 metres in 1:47.81. In January 2008 he ran another race in South Africa in 1:46.70 and February during his first ever indoor 800 metres he ran 1:48.31, which was enough to qualify for the World Indoor Championships in Sevilla. A week later he became Dutch National Indoor Champion over 800 metres and during the outdoor season he also took this Dutch national title. At the World Championships he won his serie in the first round, which qualified him straight for the semi finals. In these semi finals he finished third behind Mbulaeni Mulaudzi
Mbulaeni Mulaudzi
Mbulaeni Tongai Mulaudzi is a South African middle distance runner, and the 2009 world champion in the men's 800 metres. He carried the flag at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece for his native country...
and Abubaker Kaki Khamis
Abubaker Kaki Khamis
Abubaker Kaki Khamis is a Sudanese runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is a two-time World Indoor Champion over the distance and also won gold at the 2007 All-Africa Games. He represented Sudan at the 2008 Summer Olympics.-Career:...
and was eliminated. However, his time of 1:48.27 was another personal best. During the FBK
Fanny Blankers-Koen
Francina "Fanny" Elsje Blankers-Koen was a Dutch athlete, best known for winning four gold medals at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. She accomplished this as a 30 year old mother of two, during a time when many disregarded women's athletics...
Games in Hengelo
Hengelo
Hengelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel. The city lies along the motorways A1/E30 and A35 and it has a station for the International Amsterdam – Hannover – Berlin service.-Traffic and transport:...
he won the 800 metres impressively in 1:45.80, beating many World class runners, inclusive World Champion Alfred Yego
Alfred Yego
Alfred Kirwa Yego is a Kenyan middle distance runner who specializes in the 800 metres. He is best known for winning the gold medal in the 800 m at the 2007 World Championships....
. His next goal was to qualify 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...
and on 13 July 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...
his 1:45.30 was only 0.05 short to break the Olympic limit. Then, on 29 July in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
, he secured his Olympic debut by running an impressive 1:44.75 during the Super Grand-Prix meeting there. He was disqualified from the 800m heats in the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona.
Personal bests
- Outdoor
- 200 metres200 metresA 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
- 21.48 (2001, UdenUdenUden is a municipality and a town in the province of Noord-Brabant, Netherlands.- History :Uden was first recorded around 1190 as “Uthen”. However, earlier settlements have been found in the areas of the modern day Moleneind, Vorstenburg and Bitswijk and evidence of ice-age settlements has been...
) - 300 metres - 34.05 (2001, LisseLisseLisse is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 16.11 km² of which 0.41 km² is water. Its population is 21864...
) - 400 metres400 metresThe 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
- 46.52 (2005, Leiden) - 800 metres800 metresThe 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
- 1:44.75 (2008, MonacoMonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
)
- 200 metres
- Indoor
- 400 metres400 metresThe 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
- 47.56 (2003, GhentGhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
) - 800 metres800 metresThe 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...
- 1:48.27 (2008, Valencia)
- 400 metres