Who to watch: Day 2

The second day of the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker regatta features the finals of the two main events: the Holland Beker for Men’s Single Sculls (M1x), and the Ladies’ Trophy for Women’s Single Sculls (W1x).

Ladies’ Trophy & Holland Beker

The favourite to win the Ladies’ Trophy this year is Annekatrin Thiele. The German sculler and Rio Olympic Gold medallist and double Olympic Silver medallist left an impressive calling card in the first semi-final by winning in dominant fashion ahead of Mette Petersen from Danske Studenters RK and Fiona Ewing from Sydney UBC. Joining them in the final are Euros’ Minke Holleboom, the winner of the second semi-final, Cara Grzeskowiak from Capital Lakes Rowing Club, and Janneke van der Meulen from Willem III Amsterdam. Come and see the grand finale at 15:34h!

In the line-up for the Holland Beker final, which will start at 15:50h, two legends stand out: Mahé Drysdale of New Zealand and Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic. Both won their semi-final with relative ease and will be looking to add another Holland Beker victory to their impressive trophy cabinet. In addition, reigning Olympic Champion Drysdale will want to prove he is still the best, and beating his arch rival and friend Synek will do just that. Meanwhile, Synek wants to show his speed in preparation for defending his title at the 2018 World Championships.

Scullers Julius Peschel from RC Hannover and Petter Tufte from Norske Studenters RK were not far behind in this morning’s semi-final and will hunt the two down to the finish line. Eskil Borgh from Sweden and Sam McKneown from Queens University Belfast BC complete the line-up. These rowers are part of the younger generation, and are eager to show their skills next to the Olympic greats in a head-to-head race.

 

Eights

Other races to look out for are most definitely the W8+  and M8+, at 16:15h and 16:22h respectively. Winners of these races will be crowned Open Dutch National Champion. In the womens’ final, the Dutch senior eight is a clear favourite. However, they will face hot competition from the Dutch Under 23 eight, a strong boat from the University of Iowa, and the eight from Nico Rienks’ SilVia project. In the M8+ race, yesterday’s winners from the US will need to up their game if they want to reach the finish first once more: the Dutch FISU World Championships eight managed to row almost 17 seconds faster than the US Composites in this morning’s time trials. Also watch for the fast eights from Laga/Aegir, Skøll Amsterdam, and the Dutch Junior eight.

 

Quadruple Sculls

Similar to the eights races, the winners of the quad finals (W4x and M4x) will also receive the title Open Dutch National Champions (at 16:33h and 16:40h respectively). The golden Dutch women’s quad from the first World Cup in Belgrade has been brought back together and look confident to take the gold medals home. In the other lanes, an interesting battle will take place between the Danes and the second Dutch quad, including Olympic gold medallist Ilse Paulis and Olympic silver medallist Carline Bouw. Also, watch out for the lightweights from Triton/Nereus/Vidar, who are looking to surprise the field. The favourites for the M4x final are undoubtedly the crew from Skøll Amsterdam: after an impressive start they led the field almost 9 seconds ahead of the Indonesian crew in yesterday’s final. Don’t put all your life savings into the betting office just yet however: Skøll decided to skip this morning’s time trial, while Indonesia delivered the fastest time. Forfeiting their chance to race for lanes, Skøll may regret their decision as they possibly face the toughest headwind of the course.

 

Men’s Pair

In the M2- at 17:10h, there will be an interesting fight between the Rienks brothers (Nereus/Laga), a Lyon combination, CR Flamengo, and the new Dutch men’s pair featuring Kaj Hendriks and Harold Langen from Triton. The latter will be very eager to show that they are still the fastest pair of the Netherlands after winning the National Title in April.

 

Dutch Freshmen

In anticipation of the Holland Beker and Ladies’ Trophy, the Freshmen’s finals will start from 14:30h. Unlike the Development finals yesterday, no points for the national competition will be available here. The top 6 crews of each freshman competition will battle for the honour of crowning themselves victors of the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker, a once-in-a-lifetime milestone in the life of a Dutch Freshman club rower.

 

Let the battle for the finals of 2018 begin!

Saturday recap: an amazing first day at the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker.

As temperatures soared at the Bosbaan, spectators were able to watch some high quality rowing from the comfort of the shade. Among the highlights of the day were the preliminary heats of the main events: the Holland Beker (M1x) and the Ladies’s Trophy (W1x).

 

In the battle for the Holland Beker, favourites Mahé Drysdale of New Zealand and Ondrej Synek of the Czech Republic secured their spot in the semi-finals by winning their heats. Among the others joining them are Julius Peschel from RC Hannover, Peter Tufte from Norske Studenters Roklub, and Dogus Koker from the Tilburg-based club Vidar.

 

In the Ladies’ Trophy, German international Annekatrin Thiele, Mette Petersen from Danske Studenters Roklub, and Euros’ Minke Holleboom all finished first in their heats, earning themselves a direct spot for the semi-finals, as well as second finishers Janneke van der Meulen, Cara Grzeskowiak, and Baukje Zaaijer.

 

In the final of the LM4-, Indonesia proved to have a quick boat as they held off the crew from Hong Kong right from the start. A few minutes later, the M4x were dominated by the Amsterdam crew from Skøll. The Dutch men blasted off in front of the Indonesian quad to take a convincing win. The crowd were in for an exciting finish in the M8+, with the Dutch men’s junior eight falling just short of beating a composite of US rowers.

 

In most other races, members of the Dutch national team were a cut above the rest, providing the spectators a textbook example of elite rowing. However, not only the senior Dutch crews proved to be the best, also the Dutch Under 23 M2x crew were untouchable in their race, finishing in front of the Czech Republic.

 

As the afternoon progressed, it was time for the grand finals of the national Development competition, an event which encompasses multiple regattas. The winners are decided by a point-based system, based on regatta results. At the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker, the final points were up for grabs, and for some crews this meant the final chance to battle for the end victory against the leaders of the competition. In the WDev2x the crew from Aegir managed to do just that, winning by just 0,4 seconds ahead of Proteus-Eretes. Another close race in the LWDev2x, where Triton finished just shy of second in front of Euros, who both had an equal amount of points prior to the finals at this regatta.

 

The first day of the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker was closed off with the repechages for the Holland Beker and Ladies’ Trophy, and under 23 and lightweight single sculls finals, where rowers from Hong Kong, Willem III from Amsterdam, and Njord from Leiden took home the medals. Tomorrow will feature even more hotly contested races, as the battles for the Holland Beker and Ladies’ Trophy will reach their exciting conclusion. We hope to see you all tomorrow at the Bosbaan!

Who to watch on the first finals day at the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker

As the temperatures soar towards 30 degrees Celsius in Amsterdam this afternoon, the weather won’t be the only thing heating up today: on the Bosbaan rowing course, rowers from all corners of the world will race for the many cups, trophies, and medals of the regatta. We’ve made a selection of exciting races to watch this afternoon at the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker.

 

The first final of the day is the LM4- at 13:24h, promising to be a fierce contest between two Asian powerhouses, Hong Kong and Indonesia. Both national teams have entered two crews, so not only will they be looking to beat the other nation, but also their compatriots. A crew from Indonesia will also be in the hunt for medals in the M4x at 13:36h. They will face the national quad from Thailand, as well as Henley-bound quads from home favourites Skøll, and the French INSA Lyon.

 

More national teams, including Dutch crews, will contest in de W4- and M4- at 14:15h and 14:22h respectively. In the Women’s four, a selection of the Dutch squad will race crews from Indonesia, Denmark, and Germany, as well as a Dutch four bound for the FISU World Championships in China later this year. The men’s four will put their new line up to the test in preparation for the Lucerne World Cup, facing experienced crews from Proteus-Eretes, University of London, and a Dutch combination including the two Rienks brothers, Rik and Ralf.

 

Anyone looking for a textbook example of elite sculling should take a ride on the moving grandstand for the LW2x at 14:30h: The Belgrade World Cup winners Ilse Paulis and Marieke Keijser will probably be in a league of their own, given that they were close to beating the World’s Best Time in Belgrade earlier this year. At 14:52h, the M2x final will be the stage of an interesting battle between the Dutch Under 23 men’s heavyweight (Gyas/Aegir), and lightweight (Skøll/Leythe) crews. Spicing up the fight are national crews from the Czech Republic and Thailand.

 

For those who want to scout a future Olympic champion, make sure you turn your attention to the water from 15:40h, when talents will get the opportunity to show their speed. We start with the finals of the Development competition, which is the culmination of a number of races for points throughout the Dutch national season for promising sophomores and juniors. We then continue with the finals of the hotly contested under 23 single sculls. The day will finish with the repechages of the Holland Beker and Ladies’ Trophy to determine who will advance to tomorrow’s semi-finals.

 

Follow all races on the livestream!

 

Interview with record-breaking Dutch para-rowers Corné de Koning and Annika van der Meer on their ambitions and racing in the Netherlands.

While this duo hasn’t raced together on their home soil yet, para-rowers Corné de Koning and Annika van der Meer remain unbeaten since the two were brought together little over one year ago. After defeating the reigning British paralympic champions in the PR2 Mixed Double Sculls category in a world best time, they went on to claim the title at the World Championships of 2017 held in Sarasota in dominating fashion. We asked them about their road to Tokyo 2020, and the prospect of competing on Dutch water at the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker.

For De Koning, who has competed at an international level since 2013, the first years in the paralympic rowing world were tough:”I had to combine a full-time job with training, since I didn’t receive any financial support in my first years. It took a lot of my energy away from training, but it was also a great challenge to combine my two careers and to excel at both”. Asking about the combination of Van der Meer and himself he replies: ”It’s fantastic that we’ve been able to set a new standard. Our goal is to remain undefeated in the coming years and ultimately win a gold medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.” Van der Meer, who started rowing after suffering injuries related to skiing and track cycling, also isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, as she explains: ”the hardest part of rowing is getting all the details just right. The improvement of our performance since last year is very noticeable. A new world best time this year at the World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, is definitely a possibility, and of course Paralympic gold lurks on the horizon as we approach 2020.”

The duo have planned to demonstrate their speed at this year’s Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker. Van der Meer: ”But we will only race if there are crews to compete against. Nationally there currently isn’t another PR2 double, and for foreign teams budget is often an issue when attending international races”. De Koning adds: “It would be a good thing if the number of countries that facilitate para-rowing grows. FISA has already implemented measures to achieve this, such as lengthening the racing distance from 1000 to 2000 meters, making it easier to organize para-rowing races on standard rowing courses.” The increased racing distance could also boost the competitiveness of the races themselves, De Koning says: ”In a 2000m race, there is more room to execute a race plan. Tactics now play a much larger role than before. Overall, it would be great to have a bigger, more competitive field, and more races, like the Aegon Koninklijke-Holland Beker.” Van der Meer also wishes that more people would discover para-rowing:”it’s not hard to facilitate para-rowing, every club can do it.”

If De Koning and Van der Meer remain this year’s only entrants, then they will likely make their first appearance on home water at the 2019 Aegon Koninklijke-Holland Beker, which will double as the last World Cup of the international season. The prospect of racing in Rotterdam excites both athletes: ”The opportunity to race in front of all my friends and family is very exciting”, says De Koning. Van der Meer: “Having a big event with so many international competitors being held here will hopefully boost the interest in para-rowing in the Netherlands.”. National interest is certain to get a boost from the great performance of these two rowers, as they strive to continue their unbeaten streak towards the Paralympics in 2020.

Topsport Amsterdam

Dromen en ambities van talentvolle sporters waarmaken. Dit doet Topsport Amsterdam al meer dan twintig jaar. Topsport Amsterdam doet dit door middels haar Centrum voor Topsport & Onderwijs (CTO) voor sporters de optimale randvoorwaarden te creëren zodat zij het maximale uit hun topsportcarrière kunnen halen. Een goede combinatie met onderwijs, de beste huisvesting, de beste voeding en de beste fysieke- en mentale begeleiding zijn hierin de belangrijkste uitgangspunten. Daarnaast ondersteunt Topsport Amsterdam ook de Amsterdamse topsportverenigingen.

Daarnaast wil Topsport Amsterdam de Amsterdamse sporters een podium bieden in eigen stad en de stad Amsterdam als topsportstad op de kaart zetten. Daarom haalt Topsport Amsterdam grote, internationale topsportevenementen naar Amsterdam. De WK Roeien 2014, de WK Beachvolleybal 2015, de EK Atletiek 2016, De EK 3×3 Basketball en het EK Hockey in 2017 en de WK Allround in 2018 zijn daarvan de meest recente voorbeelden. Daarnaast faciliteert en adviseert Topsport Amsterdam ook kleinere en jaarlijks terugkerende topsportevenementen in de hoofdstad.

Topsport Amsterdam kan dit mede doen door samenwerking met het (Amsterdamse) bedrijfsleven. De op dit moment meer dan 70 zakelijke partners uit de Topsport Amsterdam BusinessClub dragen bij aan de dromen en ambities van de talentvolle Amsterdamse sporters en de promotie van Amsterdam als topsportstad. In ruil hiervoor krijgen deze bedrijven toegang tot het Amsterdamse topsportnetwerk, unieke ervaringen bij Amsterdame topsportevenementen en mogelijkheden tot inspiratiesessies van topsporters en coaches.

Wilt u meer weten over de werkzaamheden van Topsport Amsterdam of de Amsterdamse topsport in het algemeen? Op het Olympisch Stadion nummer 14 gaan we graag met u in gesprek!

De werkzaamheden van Topsport Amsterdam zijn ook online te volgen:

Website: www.topsport.amsterdam
Twitter: @topsportadam
Instagram: @topsportadam
Facebook: Topsport Amsterdam
Youtube: Topsport Amsterdam
E-mail: sta@topsportamsterdam.nl

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Wij de ambitie, zij (en jij?) een doel: Kiwa sponsort Project 2020

Project 2020 wil met een Dames Acht roeigoud halen op Olympische Spelen in Tokyo. Kiwa is partner van dit ambitieuze project, omdat het draait om (sportieve) kwaliteit, jezelf verbeteren, nauw samenwerken en het bereiken van het hoogst haalbare. Dat doen we ook wanneer we samen met onze klanten stappen zetten om hun organisaties vérder te brengen. Met certificering, testing en inspectiediensten voor producten, services, (management)systemen en mensen. Maar daar hebben ook wíj goede mensen voor nodig. Ligt jouw toekomst bij Kiwa?

Wij zijn Kiwa, een internationale TIC-organisatie

Wij bieden onze klanten diensten op het gebied van Testen, Inspecteren en Certificeren (TIC), en activiteiten op het gebied van training en consultancy. Zodoende maken we over de hele wereld kwaliteit en veiligheid zichtbaar en transparant. Op die manier creëren we vertrouwen in de producten, diensten, processen, (management)systemen en medewerkers van onze klanten. Dit doen we in een breed spectrum aan marktsegmenten, variërend van bouw en energievoorziening tot drinkwater, gezondheidszorg, voedselvoorziening, veevoer en landbouw. Kiwa heeft meer dan 4700 medewerkers die werken vanuit meer dan 50 kantoren in ruim 30 landen over de hele wereld, voornamelijk in Europa, Azië en Latijns-Amerika.

Werken bij Kiwa is meebouwen aan vertrouwen
Wil jij elke dag een concrete bijdrage leveren aan het bouwen aan vertrouwen? Aan een duurzamere en veiligere wereld? Wil je jezelf ontwikkelen in een open, sterk groeiend internationaal bedrijf dat je elke dag nieuwe uitdagingen biedt? Waarin je voor een belangrijk deel zélf bepaalt hoe je jouw rol invult? Dan is werken bij Kiwa een aanrader – of je nu begint als stagiair of een baan zoekt als doorgewinterde expert.

Welke persoonlijkheid past bij Kiwa?
Wie bouwt aan vertrouwen, moet oog hebben voor elk detail. Kiwa-medewerkers zijn leergierig en ze gaan elke dag voor het beste resultaat voor onze klanten. Zelfstandig, maar ook samen met collega’s. Jij als toekomstige collega staat (ook) midden in de praktijk. Je bent heel nauwkeurig, kritisch, signalerend en controlerend. Tegelijk ben je assertief, je hebt een goed geheugen en je hebt een commerciële en ‘hands on’-instelling. Je werkt in principe in een van onze Nederlandse locaties, maar je kunt je carrière ook in het buitenland voortzetten.
Vaak zoeken wij collega’s met een specifieke (technische) achtergrond. Je bent bereid te blijven studeren en vindt het prettig om zelfstandig en in teamverband te werken. Net zoals de roeisters van Project 2020, die er samen aan werken om hun ambitieuze droom te realiseren. Verder is het een pre als je affiniteit hebt met het geven van trainingen/cursussen op jouw vakgebied.

Wat zetten wij daar tegenover?
De mensen van Kiwa zijn ons belangrijkste kapitaal. Dat zie je direct terug in onze goede arbeidsvoorwaarden, in de aandacht die we hebben voor medewerkers en hun thuissituatie en in de manier waarop we omgaan met opleiding en scholing. Wat dit concreet voor jou betekent, hangt af van je specifieke kennis en ervaring. Hierover gaan we graag met je in gesprek. Een assessment maakt deel uit van de wervingsprocedure.

Enthousiast?

Kijk op onze website www.kiwa.nl of www.werkenbijkiwa.nl en kijk of we een vacature hebben die bij je past.

Stuur je cv en motivatie naar de betreffende contactpersoon. Een open sollicitatie of je vraag naar een (afstudeer-)stage nemen we altijd in behandeling.
Voor verdere vragen over mogelijkheden,
bel 088 – 998 44 00 of mail naar info@kiwa.nl. Wij maken graag kennis met je!

Aegon

 

Voortvarend van start

Rowing is all about the flying start! The faster you start, the faster you will go. At Aegon we believe in the same principle. We strive to give your career a similar flying start with our traineeship programme. The traineeship will give you the chance to advance your professional career and realize your personal growth. And just as in rowing, we have a coach who will help you achieve your true potential.

 

Starting your career at Aegon?

At Aegon we want to help our customers achieve a secure financial future. Customers can count on us to help buy their dream home, to insure their car, or to save enough for an unforgettable trip around the world. For every dream and ambition, we have a product that will help you achieve it.

 

Voortvarend van start

 

Our people

If you think working for a financial institution is boring, think again! No stuffy suits for us, because at Aegon you can come in to work in your jeans and cool sneakers.

Wesley (Finance)

 

Ishani (Communication)

 

Philip (Data-Analist)

Holland Beker hosts World Cup III 2019

It is our great pleasure to announce that the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker will host the World Rowing Cup III in 2019!

During a conference following the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, FISA granted the bid to organise the World Cup III to the municipalty of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Topsport and the Koninklijke-Holland Beker commission. This means that the 2019 edition of the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker will be the official third World Rowing Cup of 2019. We are very excited for the opportunity to put our regatta on the international rowing calendar, ten years after the last World Cup was held in the Netherlands.

 

World Rowing Cup III at the Willem-Alexanderbaan

The World Cup will be held on 12- 14 July at the Willem-Alexanderbaan in Zevenhuizen, which has proven itself as an international venue hosting the successful 2016 World Rowing Championships.

The Koninklijke – Holland Beker commission is already working hard to make the 2018 edition of the KHB a success, as we look forward to an exciting future for our regatta and Dutch rowing in general in the pre-Olympic year of 2019!

 

Announcement by the Royal Dutch Rowing Federation:
World Cup III in 2019 in Rotterdam (in Dutch)

The champions of the 2017 Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker

Last weekend on the 24th and 25th of June, rowers from all over the world came to Amsterdam to compete in the biggest international regatta in The Netherlands. Now, two days later, we look back on a successful and highly competitive weekend of rowing. We would like to thank everyone who made this year’s Holland Beker such a great event: specifically the organising board, our sponsors and patrons, and all the volunteers who gave their time and effort to make this regatta happen. Last but not least, we would like to thank all athletes who came over to the Bosbaan to race. It is an honour to host rowers from all corners of the globe, including the world’s best, and have them competing against each other in the Netherlands.

A special thank you goes out to everyone who came out to watch the races, or followed us online. Whether you came to support your favourite crew or just wanted to have a great time with the famous Holland Beker picknick, you made it a pleasure to organise this event!

The Holland Beker and the Ladies’ Trophy

Finally, We would like to congratulate the winners of our main events, Ondřej Synek, who raised the Holland Beker for the fifth time in his rowing career, and Inge Janssen, who is the first Dutch winner of the Ladies’ Trophy since 1995. They both gave an amazing masterclass in elite rowing, and have proven to be the best in the single sculls this weekend.

Next year, the Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker will be held on the 30th of June and the 1st of July. We hope to see everyone again next year!

 

 

Three generations of success

-The Men’s Eights final at 5:12 pm will feature, among others, three
home crews: KNRB 1, KNRB 2 and KNRB 3. As you may know, KNRB is the
abbreviation used for the Royal Dutch Rowing Association, and they
have entered thee rowing generations: the Junior Men’s eight, the U23
Men’s eight, and the Senior Mens’s eight.

The story of successful Dutch eights is not a long one thus far. In
1996 the legendary ‘’Holland 8’’, stroked by Nico Rienks, rowed to an Olympic
gold medal in Atlanta. A portion of the crew tried to repeat the feat
in Sydney four years later, but stranded in the repechage. The Holland
8 then recovered with a silver medal in Athens 2004, and they added a
bronze at the recent Olympic Games in Rio last year.

Some may ask: will the golden times of the famous 1996 Holland 8 ever
return? The answer may be present at this Aegon Koninklijke – Holland Beker as the future
generations will show their potential alongside their senior
colleagues. The Dutch U23 eight in particular has a lot of prospect,
as they are reigning World Champions.

They took the title last year with a gutsy and dominant first
kilometre, after which they successfully defended their lead for the
remainder of the race. Many of these athletes have returned in this
year’s U23 eight. Additionally, many of them have something in common:
they row and study in America. For example Bram Schwarz, Simon van
Dorp, and Michiel Mantel all row at the illustrious University of
Washington. Maarten Hurkmans represents the University of California –
also known as the bears -, and Max Ponsen rows in the colours of
Boston University. Furthermore, Lex van den Herik, Jaap Scholten, and
Michiel Oyen all rowed in the winning Dutch Eight at the World Cup in
Belgrade, proving they have what it takes to perform at World class
level.


Then the Juniors: since 2013, coach Ronald Florijn has been building
towards a successful Junior rowing squad, with the eight as a central
focus. This culminated into a gold medal at the 2015 Junior World
Championships in Rio. This year’s eight however, hasn’t reached
that level so far. They ended up in 5th place. The Juniors showed
their improvement in yesterday’s final, posting an impressive 5:38 time.

This afternoon the Junior and the U23 Eight will line up against their
senior counterpart, and many would not be surprised if they succeed
to cling on to the National Eight. The future for Dutch Men’s rowing
is looking bright. Although a Olympic Gold medal in the Men’s Eights
has not been won for more than 20 years, the chances that the crew from
1996 will have a successor are definitely growing.