Two-time Olympic open water champion Sharon van Rouwendaal is joining the Dutch long-distance programme to nurture young talent in the Netherlands.
Van Rouwendaal is the most successful open water swimmer in Olympic history with two golds and a silver across three Games.
She announced her retirement in September last year 13 months after her victory in the River Seine at Paris 2024 saw her became the first swimmer to twice win marathon gold in Olympic waters, eight years after lifting the crown at Rio 2016. With silver at Tokyo 2021, she also became the first athlete to claim three medals.
Van Rouwendaal also won three world titles among 10 medals – eight in open water and two in the pool – and eight European golds plus three silvers.
Since then the 32-year-old has been leading swimming clinics across the world with her SvR Academy, online training and mentoring and offering plans for shoulder injury prevention warm-ups.
Now she’ll give the benefit of her experience drawn from her illustrious career to the younger generation.
In a post to social media, she announced: I’m very proud to officially share this news today 🇳🇱
“I will be joining the Dutch long distance swimming program, where I’ll support and mentor the next generation of athletes in the years to come. After my own career, it feels truly special to give back to the sport that has given me so much. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences, not only in the water, but also in everything that comes with performing at the highest level: mindset, preparation, consistency, and resilience.
“Together, we’re focused on building and strengthening the future of Dutch open water swimming, creating a new generation of long distance swimmers for the years ahead. 💪”