Ted-Jan Bloemen

When and where did you begin this sport?

He took up the sport in 1990 at Schaatsclub Gouda in the Netherlands.

Sporting philosophy / motto

"I like to just make a good plan and really stick to it. That's how I keep my consistency in my daily routine. And that is what I need. Because that consistency is a bit of a weakness for me. It's hard to keep that going throughout the whole year. If I don't have that plan to hold onto, it's so hard for me mentally to stay on it and to keep my belief habits." (thestar.com, 31 Jan 2022)

Name of coach

Bart Schouten [national], NED; William Dutton [national], CAN

Other information

FATHERHOOD His daughter Fiene was born in 2019 and his son Thias followed in 2022. "It changes your perspective for sure. Speed skating has always been the red line in my life, like if I don't know what to do, I'm going to go skating and get better. That has always been the purpose of my life. Now I have two things that I'm super passionate about. I don't know how it is for sprinting, but for long distance skating, we just need to exert ourselves all summer. Pretty much every day in the summer, you're just crashed on the couch and you're done for the day. It gets really hard to still have energy to enjoy some playtime with your kid. I found that really frustrating. If I'm still going to skate, I need to figure this out, how to be an athlete and a dad at the same time." (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023; Player's Own Voice podcast, 29 Sep 2020) FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO CANADA In June 2014 he moved from the Netherlands to Canada with the intention of switching nationality. He made the decision after missing out on selection for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi. He is eligible to represent Canada through his father Gerhard-Jan, who was born in New Brunswick. Bloemen received his new passport just ahead of the 2014/15 World Cup season. "I didn't really know what to expect but I was grateful for the opportunity. So I went with the intention of being the best team player I could be, ready to share my experience and knowledge. It turned out to be the best decision I ever made. I couldn't be more grateful for the way I was received by the team. People really made an effort to help me find my way and feel at home in my new country." (netherlandsnewslive.com, 23 Jan 2021; Player's Own Voice podcast, 29 Sep 2020; Speed Skating Canada YouTube channel, 29 Jan 2020; cbc.ca, 09 Feb 2017; schaatsflits.nl, 29 Oct 2014; sirc.ca, 27 Oct 2014)

www.facebook.com/tjbloemen
twitter.com/tedjan

Hobbies	Playing video games, Formula One. (X profile, 02 Jun 2023; Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in the 10,000m at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)

Reason for choosing this sport

He loved skating on frozen rivers and lakes as a child, so his parents took him to a speed skating club. "I grew up in the Netherlands, what else could I do?"

Injuries	He was affected by illness in the lead-up to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. (ca.sports.yahoo.com, 12 Feb 2022) He collided with national colleague Stefan Waples while warming up for the team pursuit at the 2015 World Cup event in Inzell, Germany. He suffered a flesh wound to his left leg and was unable to compete. (isu.org, 04 Dec 2015)
Awards and honours	In 2016 and 2018 he received the Jeremy Wotherspoon Award from Speed Skating Canada. The honour recognises the Canadian male speed skater of the year. (speedskating.ca, 01 Jan 2020, 24 Sep 2016) In 2016 he received the Oscar Mathisen Award. The honour is presented annually in recognition of the most outstanding speed skating performance of the season. (speedskating.ca, 22 Sep 2017) In 2015 he was named Skater of the Year by the Alberta Amateur Speed Skating Association [AASSA] in Canada. (schaatsen.nl, 02 May 2016)
Most influential person in career	Coach Bart Schouten, and his wife Marlinde. (Speed Skating Canada YouTube channel, 29 Jan 2020; Athlete, 20 Nov 2018)
Hero / Idol	British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)

Training Regime	He trains at the Olympic Oval in Calgary, AB, Canada.
Club / Team	Ichiban Speed Skating Club: Calgary, AB, CAN

Milestones	He became the first speed skater representing Canada to win gold in the 10,000m at the Olympic Winter Games by claiming victory in the event at the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang. (SportsDeskOnline, 09 Nov 2022; speedskating.ca, 03 Feb 2022)
Nicknames	TJ Flowers, TJ Fleurs ['Bloemen' is Dutch for 'flowers']. (olympics.com, 21 Feb 2022)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2024 World Single Distances Championships in Calgary, AB, Canada. (speedskating.ca, 05 Oct 2023)