Lara van Ruijven facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lara van Ruijven

Van Ruijven at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Personal information
Nationality	Dutch
Born	(1992-12-28)28 December 1992 Naaldwijk, Netherlands
Died	10 July 2020(2020-07-10) (aged 27) Perpignan, France
Height	1.68 m
Weight	58 kg
Sport
Country	Netherlands
Sport	Short track speed skating
Event(s)	500 m
Club	HVHW
World Cup wins	10
Achievements and titles
Highest world ranking	24 (500m)
Personal best(s)	500 m: 42.453 (2019) 1000 m: 1:28.006 (2018) 1500 m: 2:23.588 (2018) 3000 m: 5:14.025 (2015)
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 0 0 1 World Championships 1 1 0 European Championships 5 2 2 Olympic Games Bronze 2018 Pyeongchang 3000 m relay World Championships Gold 2019 Sofia 500 m Silver 2018 Montreal 3000 m relay European Championships Gold 2013 Malmö 3000 m relay Gold 2014 Dresden 3000 m relay Gold 2016 Sochi 3000 m relay Gold 2019 Dordrecht 3000 m relay Gold 2020 Debrecen 3000 m relay Silver 2015 Dordrecht 3000 m relay Silver 2020 Debrecen 1000 m Bronze 2017 Turin 3000 m relay Bronze 2019 Dordrecht 500 m

Lara Victoria van Ruijven (born December 28, 1992) was a Dutch short track speed skater. She was known for her speed on the ice. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, she helped her team win a bronze medal in the 3000 meter relay race. One year later, she won a gold medal at the World Championships. This made her the first Dutch woman to win an individual world title in short track speed skating.

Early Life and Start in Skating

Lara Victoria van Ruijven was born in Naaldwijk, a town near The Hague, on December 28, 1992. She started short track speed skating when she was just six years old. She grew up loving the sport and worked hard to become a top athlete. Besides Dutch, she also spoke English and French.

Skating Career Highlights

Lara van Ruijven first joined the Dutch Olympic team for the 2014 Winter Olympics. She competed in the 500 meters race but did not advance. Her team was also disqualified in the 3000 meter relay.

Her big moment came at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She was part of the Dutch team that won a bronze medal in the 3000 meter relay. This was her first Olympic medal. A few weeks later, her team also won a silver medal in the 3000 meter relay at the World Championships.

In 2019, Lara van Ruijven achieved a huge success at the World Championships. She won a gold medal in the 500 meter event. She led almost the entire race, showing her incredible speed. This victory was very special because she became the first Dutch woman to win an individual world title in short track.

Illness and Passing

In June 2020, Lara van Ruijven became very ill during a training camp in France. She was taken to the hospital. Doctors found she had a serious illness that affected her body's immune system. Despite many efforts and surgeries, her condition did not get better. Lara van Ruijven sadly passed away on July 10, 2020, at the age of 27. Her death was a great loss to the world of speed skating.

World Cup Victories

Lara van Ruijven achieved many victories during her career. Here are some of her wins in the World Cup races:

Date	Season	Location	Rank	Event
10 February 2013	2012–13	Dresden		3000 m relay
5 February 2017	2016–17	Dresden		3000 m relay
19 November 2017	2017–18	Seoul		3000 m relay
4 November 2018	2018–19	Calgary		500m
9 December 2018	2018–19	Almaty		3000 m relay
10 February 2019	2018–19	Turin		3000 m relay
7 December 2019	2019–20	Shanghai		2000m relay
9 February 2020	2019–20	Dresden		3000 m relay
15 February 2020	2019–20	Dordrecht		500m
16 February 2020	2019–20	Dordrecht		3000 m relay

See also

In Spanish: Lara van Ruijven para niños