The Dutchwoman emerged victorious from the River Seine to become the first swimmer to twice win marathon gold in Olympic waters, eight years after lifting the crown at Rio 2016.\u00a0With silver at Tokyo 2021, she also became the first athlete to claim three medals.<\/p>\n
It was the culmination of building layer upon layer of self-belief and drawing a deep-seated confidence from the hours she\u2019d put into training and from telling herself she’s the best.<\/p>\n
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Sharon van Rouwendaal: Photo courtesy: Giorgio Perottino \/ Deepbluemedia \/ Insidefoto<\/p><\/div>\n
It\u2019s the champion mindset that has guided Van Rouwendaal to the top of the Olympic pinnacle and into the record books.<\/p>\n
She told Swimming World:\u00a0\u201cI never had a psychologist helping me, I grew mentally strong by just doing it and showing people wrong, people who treat you badly you just want to prove and prove all over again until you have that huge self-confidence that you are just going to do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty-eight days before the race in Paris, I knew there was only one option \u2013 only one option and that\u2019s to win. So, you give yourself that option.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think people like Michael Phelps or Katie Ledecky, those people have that self-confidence. I think I have it too. Of course, you have it when you\u2019re born and it can only get a little bit stronger but also people who are sensible they can get that mental mindset, that champion mindset, as well but it just takes a team around them to get that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Van Rouwendaal would ask coach Bernd Berkhahn<\/strong> for bigger and harder sets and would tell herself no other swimmer could execute such a punishing, heavy programme.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, I would do 110k (a week) in January and I would post about it and three weeks later I was double world champion in Doha,\u201d she says. \u201cI got a lot of confidence from the sessions and also just telling myself that I\u2019m one of the best or I\u2019m the best and I\u2019m going to do it.<\/p>\n \u201cNow I give presentations about mental strength and why is it that I have a medal in 200 backstroke in 2:07 when I was only 17 in Shanghai in 2011? Why is it that I have a 400 free time of 4:03 behind Katie Ledecky in Kazan (2015 worlds) or 1:52 short course with a world record in the 4×2 at Doha 2014?<\/p>\n \u201cThen swimming 10k with a heartrate that is 220 and an average of above 200 and with the lactate I can get up to 20 or 22 – that\u2019s not a 10k swimmer so it\u2019s all mental.<\/p>\n \u201cI mentally want it in the backstroke, I mentally want it in the 400 free, I mentally want it in the 10k although my body says hey, hello. My average is 200 but now we also tested that I could hold on really, really long for a high heartrate so it\u2019s all mental.<\/p>\n \u201cSo that is my strength: the strength is the mental part and then it\u2019s the heartrate, it\u2019s the swimming technique, all around it, the confidence.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone is a little bit insecure on the start line: but then what are you telling yourself in the race? And I am talking to myself and convincing myself that I can do it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Van Rouwendaal bypassed this year\u2019s World Championships, meaning a new champion would be crowned in both the 5 and 10k events following her victories at the Doha worlds in February 2024.<\/p>\nSavouring Best Friend Johnson’s Singapore Double & What The Future Holds<\/h3>\n
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