Thomas Krol

Club / Team

Team Jumbo-Visma: Netherlands

Awards and honours

He was named Male Speed Skater of the Year for the 2021/22 season by the Dutch Royal Speed Skating Federation. (knsb.nl, 31 Oct 2022) In 2019 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of Deventer in the Netherlands. (schaatsen.nl, 22 Oct 2019; rtvoost.nl, 20 Feb 2019) He was named the 2016 Male Athlete of the Year in Deventer, Netherlands. (deventerpost.nl, 06 Feb 2017)

Name of coach	Jac Orie [club], NED; Rintje Ritsma [national], NED
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began skating in 1999 in Deventer, Netherlands.

www.facebook.com/Thomas-Krol-638731543129895
twitter.com/ThomasKrol

Injuries	He was affected by an old hip injury in the lead-up to the 2021 National Single Distances Championships in the Netherlands. (volkskrant.nl, 31 Oct 2021) He tore a muscle in his groin in 2016. (Athlete, 23 Nov 2018) In 2010 he injured the iliopsoas muscle in his hip and was unable to skate for two weeks. (Athlete, 02 Dec 2015)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in the 1000m at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (helden.media, 08 Nov 2022)

Reason for choosing this sport

His sister was already involved in the sport.

Most influential person in career	His parents. (Athlete, 23 Nov 2018)
Hero / Idol	Slovak cyclist Peter Sagan. (Athlete, 23 Nov 2018)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Little work, big achievement." (Athlete, 23 Nov 2018)
Other information	SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST He worked with a sports psychologist in the lead-up to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He had been feeling the pressure heading in to the Games, and felt he needed help in improving his focus. He went on to win gold in the 1000m in Beijing. "My problem was I was paying attention to too many things. I had difficulty focusing. After a bad race I started looking at everything that went wrong. I was looking to the future and I saw everything collapsing like a pack of cards. As a top athlete you have to keep your thoughts very narrow. The sports psychologist told me I should take one point from every race to work on. When I mentioned the start was not good, the first corner was bad that I did not approach the other corners well and that the second lap was not good, she would say, 'Pick one thing that you can work on, the rest doesn't matter now'." (helden.media, 08 Nov 2022) CYCLING PASSION He is a cycling enthusiast and spends his summers riding mountains in Europe. His father owns a bicycle travel company and helps him plan the cycling routes he will take each year. He has kept a record of the different mountains he has cycled and how steep each mountain is since he was age 12. "Now there are more than 700 mountains in it [his list]. In the first years it was exciting whether I would make it to the top. Steep mountains like the Mortirolo [in Italy], Zoncolan [in Italy] and Angliru [in Spain] were a challenge to get to the top without having to get off. In the meantime it has become a collection and I want to be able to tick everything off. I not only like the mountains and the beautiful views, but also the sporting challenge. During the climb I curse myself, but once I get to the top I feel incredibly satisfied. You really can't make me happier than cycling in the mountains. That's more fun than skating in Inzell [Germany] or going to Collalbo [Italy]. Cycling in the mountains is a mental game. I put on some music and look around me. I can enjoy it and I don't suffer mentally. World championships or [Olympic Winter] Games are a bit different, those tournaments bring much more stress and pressure. It's a totally different experience. That's what I train for and I want to win prizes. I can only relax after the race." (schaatsen.nl, 14 Jul 2022) FLYING HIGH He has studied to become a pilot at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He hopes to compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina and then join the Flying Academy of Dutch airline KLM. "I think planes are fantastic and I regularly sit at home simulating flights. The study is not a top priority, but I think it is important to have in mind. Many people do not, and I find that quite worrying. I always recommend studying. I have to take an entrance exam during my last year of skating. Then of course I hope that I will be accepted there. After that, fly with KLM." (schaatsen.nl, 21 Jul 2023, 22 Oct 2019; luchtvaartnieuws.nl, 16 Apr 2022)
Hobbies	Flight simulation, playing video games, cycling. (schaatsen.nl, 26 Mar 2020, 22 Oct 2019)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (schaatsen.nl, 30 Sep 2022)
Famous relatives	His partner Ramona Westerhuis has competed in speed skating at national level in the Netherlands. She also represented the Netherlands in roller speed skating at the 2019 World Roller Games in Barcelona, Spain. (SportsDeskOnline, 15 Nov 2022; schaatsen.nl, 08 Aug 2021)