Bart Swings

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Reason for choosing this sport	He wanted to compete at the Olympic Games, but roller speed skating was not part of the programme. He therefore made the switch to speed skating, which meant he could qualify for the Olympic Winter Games. "You dream of the Olympic Games, the pinnacle for every athlete, but roller speed skating is not an Olympic sport. If it was, I would never have made the switch."
Club / Team	Team IKO: Heerenveen, NED
Name of coach	Erwin ten Hove [club], NED; Martin ten Hove [club], NED; Jelle Spruyt [personal]
When and where did you begin this sport?	He took up roller speed skating at age eight. He began speed skating in 2010 in Germany.

Hobbies	Watching television, surfing, watching cycling. (fokus-online.be, 25 Oct 2019)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (sporza.be, 17 Oct 2019)
Milestones	He became the first Belgian athlete in 20 years to win a medal at the Olympic Winter Games when he claimed silver in the mass start at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (SportsDeskOnline, 17 Oct 2018; nieuwsblad.be, 24 Feb 2018)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning silver in the mass start at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (Athlete, 20 Nov 2018)
Awards and honours	In 2018 he was made an Honorary Citizen of Herent, Belgium. (nieuwsblad.be, 13 Apr 2018) He was Belgium's flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (OIS, 25 Feb 2018) He received the 2014 Flemish Sportjuweel [Flemish Sports Jewel], an award presented annually to an athlete who has delivered a remarkable and exceptional sporting performance. (dezondag.be, 06 Nov 2016)
Other information	ROLLER VS SPEED SKATING He got into the sport through roller speed skating, which he took up at age eight after receiving roller skates as a Christmas present. "In the beginning it was mainly pure pleasure. I wasn't bad. [But] I was quite small and I didn't really have the strength to get to the top. From the age of 16 it suddenly got better and I really started to participate in the peloton and win." He decided to take up ice speed skating after watching reports on Dutch television. "There is also a link between roller skating and speed skating. In addition, speed skating is an Olympic sport, [while] roller skating unfortunately not. The transition to on-ice skating also went very smoothly. I was skating for about seven weeks when I qualified for the European championships." He says he still feels more comfortable skating on land rather than ice. "I find inline skating so much easier, I don't have to even think about it. It's like I was born with inline skates on my feet. In ice skating I really have to focus and think about it, but when I'm doing well I really do enjoy it. The movements and muscle groups are about the same, everything else is different. Inline skating is in the peloton, you only do skating. The attitude is also different. With a time trial of 5km [on the ice] you do not skate against an opponent, but against yourself. It is sometimes said that you regularly encounter yourself on ice, that's right." (bigwheelblading.com, 09 Oct 2017; fokus-online.be, 25 Oct 2019) FURTHER STUDIES He has studied for a master's degree in civil engineering. (nieuwsblad.be, 13 Feb 2020)
Injuries	He was suffering from sickness and a knee inflammation at the start of the 2017/18 season. (isu.org, 10 Dec 2017)
Most influential person in career	Coach Jelle Spruyt, and his brother Maarten. (Athlete, 20 Nov 2018)
Hero / Idol	US speed skater Chad Hedrick, Belgian cyclists Sven Nys and Tom Boonen. (Athlete, 28 Jan 2017; dezondag.be, 06 Nov 2016)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Stay focused on your goal, never quit." (Athlete, 20 Nov 2018)
Other sports	He has represented Belgium in roller speed skating, winning three gold medals and seven medals in total at the 2019 World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. (dezondag.be, 06 Nov 2016; SportsDeskOnline, 22 Dec 2020; schaatsen.nl, 10 Apr 2012)
Famous relatives	His brother Maarten has represented Belgium in roller speed skating and speed skating, winning two gold medals in roller speed skating at the 2014 European Championships in Geisingen, Germany. (demorgen.be, 30 Sep 2013; SportsDeskOnline, 22 Dec 2020)