Robin Groot

Club / Team

Team IKO: Netherlands

Memorable sporting achievement	Winning four gold medals at the 2020 World Junior Championships in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland. (schaatsen.nl, 24 Feb 2020)
Ambitions	To win a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games. (cruyffacademy.nl, 01 Jan 2022)
Milestones	She became the second speed skater representing the Netherlands [after Jutta Leerdam in 2018] to win seven medals at a single edition of the world junior championships when she claimed seven podium finishes at the 2020 edition of the tournament in Tomaszow Mazowiecki, Poland. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Oct 2022)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"The body achieves what the mind believes." (Instagram profile, 30 Aug 2022)
Other information	CHANGE OF TEAM In 2020 she won multiple world junior championship titles and joined the development squad of Team Jumbo-Visma. She admits that she initially pushed herself too hard after joining the team. "I had just turned 19 and was still living with my parents. Everything changed overnight. I moved to Heerenveen and joined a commercial team for the first time. It was exciting, it was a new way of training and living on my own. As a youngster joining a team full of champions is super cool, of course, but it also has its downsides. There is a certain pressure involved, and it didn't work out for me the first year, which made me a bit insecure. In the beginning I didn't dare say that it was too much for me or that I should slow down a bit. I talked to [Jumbo-Visma coach] Sicco Janmaat and we adjusted my training schedule. Things immediately went a lot better." However, she was not offered a contract extension at Jumbo-Visma for 2022/23, and she moved to Team IKO. "It really came as a shock that I would be leaving after two years. Over the past year [2021/22] I've been on an upward trend. I made my World Cup debut and set personal bests, so I expected to get another year. I came to the realisation that Team IKO suits me better at the moment. Over the past two years I've learned that I shouldn't be so insecure and have to be strong in my shoes. I can have the confidence again that I can do it and also become the best." (schaatsen.nl, 01 Apr 2022)

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Injuries

She was only able to compete in the 1500m at the 2023 World Cup Qualifying Tournament in the Netherlands after contracting COVID-19 ahead of the event. She pulled out of the 3000m and the 5000m after she was disappointed in her performance in the 1500m. (schaatsen.nl, 28 Oct 2023)

Name of coach

Erwin Ten Hove [club], NED; Martin Ten Hove [club], NED