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Arno Kamminga: Photo Courtesy: Kees-Jan van Overbeeke<\/p><\/div>\n

Kamminga is a late bloomer. For him, there were no European or world junior teams and the three silver medals he claimed at the European Championships<\/strong> in May were his first in senior long-course waters at 25.<\/p>\n

There was though little indication of what was to come in his teenage years, Kamminga having said in an interview in March 2020:<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI was more the lazy guy. I felt like I never had a real purpose in life, I was just doing stuff.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I talk to my old team-mates when I was swimming at the club and they\u2019re like \u2018we don\u2019t get it. You were always the one first out of the water showering\u2019 and always that I was showering for an hour and then the water turned cold.<\/p>\n
\u201cShowering was better than the training: I always found ways to get out of practice.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In September 2011 Kamminga\u2019s mother Marleen died of breast cancer, when he was 15 and she 48.<\/p>\n
Her death left father Meindert with the grief of three children \u2013 Elwin, Iris and Arno \u2013 as well as his own.<\/p>\n
Kamminga said:<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did a splendid job. It wasn\u2019t easy for him because in the beginning the four of us were all struggling to cope with the loss and the new life.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think my sister and I were further ahead of our father dealing with the loss and getting on with our lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a year, a year and a half, my father had a place for it and came down and his emotions went down and he was really supportive of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cEspecially for me it has always been like, I won\u2019t push you into anything, just make your own choices.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you want to swim, you\u2019re going swim; if you don\u2019t want to swim, I\u2019m also fine. Do whatever you want I am there supporting you, no matter what.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me that was really like a liberation; it was really nice to have that support no matter what.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter if I swim good or bad, he is always there and he is my biggest fan.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor my dad to be so supportive but also really free was for me the best scenario.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In the two years following his mother\u2019s death, Kamminga decided he was going to commit to the sport.<\/p>\n
He narrowly missed out on making teams several times but it was the beginning of his coaching relationship with Mark Faber<\/strong> in 2016 that really heralded the start of something special.<\/p>\n
Faber was appointed head coach of the Netherlands Training Centre Amsterdam<\/strong> in October 2016, his arrival coinciding with Kamminga\u2019s commitment to the sport.<\/p>\n
Kamminga responded to Faber\u2019s style of coaching, one that encourages a blend of independence forged in mutual trust and accountability.<\/p>\n
He explained:<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t need anyone babysitting me or really pushing me into anything and that is also why I think I click so well with Mark because he is also like that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s like \u2018I\u2019m going to help you the top if you have to do it yourself and you have to want it yourself.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI had coaches before who were really pushing \u2013 that\u2019s not my cup of tea, I don\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Steepest Of Trajectories<\/h3>\n $\"arno-kamminga\"$
Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n
Kamminga picked up his first international medal at the European Short-Course Championships<\/strong> in December 2017 when he won gold with the Netherlands\u2019 4×1 mixed medley relay.<\/p>\n
The following year there were two seventh places in the 100 (59.69) and 200 (2:09.87) at the long-course Europeans in Glasgow.<\/p>\n
Come the 2019 worlds and he came eighth in 59.49 in the same 100 semi in which Adam Peaty<\/strong> went 56.88, Kamminga saying: \u201cI was looking at him like he was way out of reach<\/a> so I was more like \u2013 how the hell do you swim 56? I\u2019m still thinking how the hell can you swim 56?\u201d<\/p>\n
He narrowly missed the 200 final with a 2:08.48 national record in the semi where Matthew Wilson<\/strong> of Australia matched the world record of 2:06.67.<\/p>\n
With that 200 time, Kamminga qualified for Tokyo and the following months saw him dismantle his PBs time and again.<\/p>\n
The FINA World Cup<\/strong> stop in Kazan, Russia, in November 2019 marked his first journey inside 59 over 100 in 58.98, followed in December by 58.64 and Olympic year opened with 58.61 at the FINA Champions Swim Series<\/strong> in Shenzhen, China.<\/p>\n
At the Antwerp Diamond Race<\/strong> in March 2020, Kamminga went 58.43 to propel himself to what was then third all-time.<\/p>\n
He has bettered that on four occasions and in April he went 57.90<\/a>, to move to within 1.02secs of Peaty, the man who was so untouchable and out of reach less than two years earlier.<\/p>\n
Similarly in the 200. Inside 2:08 for the first time at the World Cup in Budapest in October 2019 in 2:07.96, he\u2019s now done that four times with the apex in December 2020 when he went 2:06.85 to join a very select club.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s noticeable is his consistency with 10 journeys inside 2:08 and 18 through the 59 barrier.<\/p>\n
His four fastest efforts over 100m have all come since April this year and between May and July there\u2019ve been five 200s ranging between 2:07.23-2:07.63.<\/p>\n
Kamminga said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe consistency gives me more confidence but I mostly do the competitions any other year to practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I really love doing competitions and getting really into that racing style and I think the racing you do at those competitions you can\u2019t do in practice.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me it\u2019s really important to be there and this year I was so consistent and also the way we approach the competition is slightly different every time.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
European Success And Overcoming The Unexpected<\/h3>\n
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Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n
Kamminga undertook a heavy programme at the Europeans in Budapest with the 50-200 breaststroke as well as the mixed medley relay which involved a tight turnaround.<\/p>\n
He took silver behind Peaty over 100 and Anton Chupkov<\/strong> in the 200 \u2013 both world-record holders \u2013 with the Netherlands second to Britain in the relay.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was really cool, that was epic. I really love Budapest: my first big competition was there \u2013 the 2017 – so I have a special feeling coming back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time being on the podium, being one of the big guys, and swimming fast \u2013 that really felt special, it was good.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
It was the first international long-course meet since Gwangju and offered the athletes a priceless opportunity to swim an extended meet.<\/p>\n
While athletes focus solely on what they can control, Kamminga was confronted by the unexpected in the 100 final when the cord on his suit snapped as he turned.<\/p>\n
He said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you turn you put a lot of pressure on your core so I think it was just a little too much and the cord broke.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt it during my turn and I was like \u2018oh heck\u2019 and I pushed off and the suit was perfectly in place and nothing happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I was like okay, nothing\u2019s going to happen now.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose things could happen and it happened and I still had a pretty amazing race and I am not too afraid about that happening at the Olympics.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was prepared for it – not necessarily the cord breaking – but if something happens I\u2019ll know what to do but it was also quite nice to have it happen for real and know it doesn\u2019t affect me.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Tokyo, Dry-Land Warm-Ups And Olympic Expectations<\/h3>\n $\"Gold$
Arno Kamminga & Anton Chupkov: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n
The delayed Olympics<\/a> open on 23 July with the 100 heats the following evening and the 200 starting on 27 July.<\/p>\n
Peaty leads the 100 rankings with 57.39 in April with Zac Stubblety-Cook<\/strong>\u2019s time of 2:06.28 at the Australian trials in mid-June second in history only to Chupkov\u2019s 2:06.12 world record.<\/p>\n
Kamminga offered his insight into all the other components outside an athlete’s control that can affect an outcome, saying:<\/p>\n
\u201cHuge, huge props to Zac for swimming so fast. I think he had an amazing race \u2013 going that first 100 with Matthew (Wilson) \u2013 and that really launched him into the second 100.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s also the thing I’ve figured out over the last few months.<\/p>\n
\u201cRacing alone, having your own race, or racing against others \u2013 it\u2019s so different and it can be very hard.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes you can have a race when someone is lying perfectly next to you and he launches you.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the final at Europeans with Peaty next to me I could really push myself but then the same thing happened to me in Rome.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Nicolo) Martinenghi was perfectly next to me and he launched himself off me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s the same thing about the Olympics. The best wins but also if you\u2019re in a good lane and you have the perfect guy for your race next to you.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
As is his custom, there\u2019ll be no pool warm-up before his races but instead one on dry land, something he has done for the last six years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s my secret sauce. I\u2019ve been perfecting it for years now and I know exactly what I need to do for my body to get warm and to get ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cI prefer it over swimming because I don\u2019t have any trouble over the water being too cold or too warm, too busy lanes, or anything like that.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
After that, it\u2019s into the pool on the biggest stage of all.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course I want to swim fast and I want to win but for sure for me it\u2019s more I want to have my perfect race or at least a really good race at the Olympics.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know that if I have my perfect race it will be really hard to beat.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, Peaty is way ahead and of course I\u2019m going to try and make it as hard as possible but we\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also my first Olympics – I haven\u2019t done a final at long-course worlds.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me I know I\u2019m going to swim at least until Paris so it\u2019s also just getting a lot of race practice in as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo even though it\u2019s the Olympics I want to learn and I want to get better over time.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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Tokyo, Dry-Land Warm-Ups And Olympic Expectations<\/h3>\nArno Kamminga & Anton Chupkov: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n