The magic of the Olympics: ‘Everyone is suddenly a fan of the archers’

LEIDEN – Why do the Olympic Games have an almost magical connotation compared to, for example, the European Athletics Championships or the World Sailing Championships? According to four-time Olympian Laurine van Riessen, there is no clear answer to that question. ‘Every Games I participated in has a different story and I experienced it differently.’

Read More : Taylor Swift’s concert had a positive impact on the tourism sector in the Indianapolis area.

See More : https://heylink.me/sabrina-zahira

“People who aren’t participating also see how special it is,” she begins her explanation. “The Games in Paris haven’t even officially started yet and there’s already so much attention with all sorts of different previews.”

In addition, according to the top athlete, the unique nature of the Games is also a reason why the athletes’ performances will be watched en masse from living rooms in the coming days.

‘It is the biggest sporting event in the world and only happens once every four years. In terms of sports, there is hardly anything else to see for two weeks other than the Games’. All attention is focused on it and not only popular sports such as tennis and football are being watched.’

To illustrate this, she gives an example of the Olympic Games in Tokyo three years ago. Archery was one of the first sports programmed at the time and the Dutch duo consisting of Steve Wijler and Gabriela Schloesser were on course for a medal.
“Everyone was suddenly a fan of the archers,” she remembers. “Whatever your sport normally is, during the Games you watch almost everything.”

Two Summer Games, two Winter Games

For the athletes themselves, the Olympic Games also have a special meaning. Van Riessen competed twice as a speed skater in the Winter Games (2010 and 2014) and as a track cyclist she competed twice in the Summer Games (2016 and 2021).
‘It doesn’t apply to everyone in every sport, but in the back of my mind it was always: that’s where it has to happen. It’s once every four years and then I have to be in top form as an athlete. It’s so special when you can win something on that podium.’

Laurine van Riessen became a mother for the first time in November and had put her sports career on the back burner for that. The 36-year-old track cyclist does not yet know whether she will return to the professional circuit. ‘I am training, but I do not yet know whether I will officially make my comeback’, she says about that.

For Van Riessen, that also meant that she set her life on it, although she thinks the term sacrifice goes too far. ‘It’s not like you do nothing for four years,’ she explains. ‘You set goals for yourself every year and participate in European and world championships every year. You want to win medals there too. Only the Games are just a step higher.’

Winter Games more exclusive

Because Van Riessen participated in both the Summer and Winter Games, she has material for comparison. The Summer Games she experienced were impressive, she says, especially because of the large number of athletes who participated and the attention that was given to them.

What may play a role is that the Leiden woman won her only Olympic medal on the ice. ‘That is the best Olympic experience I have ever had.’ ‘I still notice that now. When I’m somewhere, my achievements are often mentioned and that medal from the Games is often the first thing that comes up. I always take that with me.’

Although the Winter Games also made an impression on her. ‘That felt even more exclusive’, the Leiden native explains. ‘Fewer people participate and there are fewer sports in which medals are contested. Team-NL was also much smaller. That made it even more special.’