Netherlands at the 2018 Winter Paralympics facts for kids

The Netherlands sent a team of amazing athletes to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. These games are a big sports event for athletes with disabilities. Nine Dutch athletes competed, with four in para-snowboarding and five in para-alpine skiing. Some athletes, like Anna Jochemsen and Jeffrey Stuut, were standing skiers. Others, such as Linda van Impelen, Jeroen Kampschreur, and Niels de Langen, competed in all five para-alpine sit-ski events. Many of the snowboarders, like Lisa Bunschoten, Bibian Mentel-Spee, and Chris Vos, had already competed in the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi. Only Renske van Beek was new to the Paralympics among the snowboarders.

Team Netherlands

The Dutch team for the 2018 Winter Paralympics included nine athletes. Four of them competed in para-snowboarding, and five competed in para-alpine skiing.

Here is a list of the athletes who were part of Team Netherlands for the 2018 Games:

Para-alpine Skiing

Alpine Skiers

In para-alpine skiing, athletes compete in different ways. Anna Jochemsen and Jeffrey Stuut are known as standing skiers. This means they ski standing up, often with special equipment or adaptations.

Linda van Impelen, Jeroen Kampschreur, and Niels de Langen are sit-skiers. They use a special chair attached to a ski to go down the mountain. These three athletes competed in all five para-alpine sit-ski events. Jeroen Kampschreur was especially strong, coming to his first Winter Paralympics as a world champion in slalom, giant slalom, and super-combined.

Race Schedule

The para-alpine skiing events took place over several days.

• The downhill race was first, on March 10th.
• The Super-G race followed on March 11th.
• The super combined event happened on March 13th. This race has two parts: a Super-G run in the morning and a slalom run in the afternoon.
• The slalom event was held on March 14th and 15th. Both men and women raced in the morning. In the afternoon, women did their second run first, followed by the men.
• The final para-alpine skiing race was the giant slalom, on March 17th and 18th. Men and women raced at the same time in the morning. In the afternoon, women raced first, with men starting about half an hour later.

Para-snowboarding

Snowboarders

The Dutch para-snowboarding team had some very experienced athletes. Bibian Mentel-Spee had competed in previous Paralympics and won several medals. Chris Vos was also a strong competitor, having won the World Para Snowboarding Championships four times.

Lisa Bunschoten, Bibian Mentel-Spee, and Chris Vos had all competed in the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi. Renske van Beek was the only snowboarder on the Dutch team who had not been to Sochi, making the 2018 Pyeongchang Games her first Paralympics.

Chris Vos turned 20 years old in February 2018. Even though he was young, many people thought he had a good chance to win a medal. His speed was excellent during the 2017-2018 season, but his results were not always the same. This made some people wonder if he could win a gold medal.

Race Schedule

The para-snowboarding events also had a clear schedule:

• The snowboard cross races started on March 12th. All classes for both men and women competed throughout the day.
• The slalom race was scheduled for March 16th. Men and women in all classes competed during this event.

Supporters

Princess Margriet of the Netherlands showed her support by attending the 2018 Winter Paralympics. She is a member of the Honorary Board of the International Paralympic Committee, which means she helps guide the Paralympic movement. She was in Pyeongchang from March 8th to March 13th, 2018.

See also

In Spanish: Países Bajos en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Pyeongchang 2018 para niños