Thijs van Valkengoed
Encyclopedia
Thijs Maarten van Valkengoed (born July 6, 1983 in Lelystad
, Flevoland
) is a breaststroke
swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece and the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
. He trains together with his sister Jolijn
in their hometown.
at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
it appeared that Thijs had been overtraining
himself for a longer period of time. He had to rest for the whole 2006 season.
to Lelystad and started to train with his sister with the goal to qualify themselves for the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in Eindhoven. At the end of 2007 both Thijs and Jolijn van Valkengoed reached their goal and qualified for the European Championship in their homecountry. During the European championships Thijs lowered his own national record at the 100 m breaststroke to 1:01.22 and instead qualified for his second Olympics. Later on his sister qualified herself for the medley relay at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. Just days before the Games started, during the training-camp in Hong Kong
, Thijs became ill. Due to the illness Thijs couldn't lower his national record again.
Lelystad
Lelystad is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. The city, built on reclaimed land, was founded in 1967 and was named after Cornelis Lely, who engineered the Afsluitdijk, making the reclamation possible...
, Flevoland
Flevoland
Flevoland is a province of the Netherlands. Located in the centre of the country, at the location of the former Zuiderzee, the province was established on January 1, 1986; the twelfth province of the country, with Lelystad as its capital...
) is a breaststroke
Breaststroke
The breaststroke is a swimming style in which the swimmer is on his or her chest and the torso does not rotate. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the water a large portion of the time. In most swimming classes, beginners learn...
swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for his native country at 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, Greece and 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...
. He trains together with his sister Jolijn
Jolijn van Valkengoed
Jolijn van Valkengoed is a Dutch Swimmer, who is mainly specialized in breaststroke. She is currently training in her hometown Lelystad together with her younger brother Thijs. At the age of 24 she made her international debut at the European Championships 2006 in Budapest...
in their hometown.
Swimming career
Thijs debuted at the international stage during the 2002 European Aquatics Championships in Berlin. Van Valkengoed's main achievement is winning the bronze medal in the 200 m breaststroke at the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2003 in Dublin, Ireland. Earlier that month he had qualified himself for the 2004 Summer Olympics with national records in 100 m and 200 m breaststroke. At the Olympics he was eliminated in the semi finals of the 100 m breaststroke, and in the heats of the 200 m breaststroke.Overtraining
After the disappointing results in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships
2005 World Aquatics Championships
The 2005 World Aquatics Championships or the XI FINA World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from July 16 to July 31, 2005...
it appeared that Thijs had been overtraining
Overtraining
Overtraining is a physical, behavioral, and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness...
himself for a longer period of time. He had to rest for the whole 2006 season.
Comeback
After his overtraining he decided to move back from AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to Lelystad and started to train with his sister with the goal to qualify themselves for the 2008 European Aquatics Championships in Eindhoven. At the end of 2007 both Thijs and Jolijn van Valkengoed reached their goal and qualified for the European Championship in their homecountry. During the European championships Thijs lowered his own national record at the 100 m breaststroke to 1:01.22 and instead qualified for his second Olympics. Later on his sister qualified herself for the medley relay at 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...
. Just days before the Games started, during the training-camp in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Thijs became ill. Due to the illness Thijs couldn't lower his national record again.
Personal bests
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