Xandra Velzeboer

Club / Team

Shorttrack Brabant: 's-Hertogenbosch, NED

Famous relatives

Her father Marc and her aunts Monique and Simone represented the Netherlands in short track at the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, while her uncle Alex competed in the sport at four editions of the world championships between 1995 and 2000. Her sister Michelle made her World Cup debut in short track in 2022 in Montreal, QC, Canada. (SportsDeskOnline, 31 Oct 2022; schaatsen.nl, 29 Nov 2021, 11 Feb 2019, 15 Sep 2018)

Reason for choosing this sport

"I used to do inline skating and I enjoyed doing it but at some point I chose short track. Speed skating is so boring. It is really all about that the fastest time. Short track is about passing, tactics. That is just a lot more fun to do."

Awards and honours

She was named the 2017/18 Talent of the Season by the Royal Dutch Skating Federation [KNSB]. (schaatsen.nl, 15 Sep 2018)

Name of coach	Niels Kerstholt [national], NED
When and where did you begin this sport?	She began skating at age eight at the Sportium ice rink in Den Bosch, Netherlands.

www.facebook.com/xandra.velzeboer

Nicknames	Xannie, Xan, Kleine Smurf [Little Smurf] (schaatsen.nl, 29 Nov 2021, 22 Jul 2020)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"In short track the technique is never perfect, there is always room for improvement. It has simply been taught to me that you should never sit back and be lazy and satisfied." (trouw.nl, 22 Jan 2021)
Other information	BEING A VELZEBOER Multiple members of her family have competed in short track internationally. "My parents and my sister are a great support to me. The whole family actually. My father, uncle and aunts understand what I'm talking about, so I can talk to them well. They can give advice based on their own experiences. That helps. My last name doesn't give me any extra pressure. I'm not into that at all. Rather, it provides extra power. I think that we 'Velzeboers' all know well how short track sport works. I got that from them too. I have been participating for a while now and I am learning more and more." (nos.nl, 28 Oct 2022; rtlnieuws.nl, 13 Feb 2022; schaatsen.nl, 29 Nov 2021) TEAMMATE In training she is eager to measure herself against Dutch national teammate Suzanne Schulting, who achieved a clean sweep of the women's events at the 2021 World Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands. "Being on a team with someone like that is more of a pleasure than a burden. It is wonderful to be on the track every day with the best short track star in the world. She makes me better in every way. If I can keep up with her at top speed in training or give her a hard time, that can only mean one thing. What I'm doing at that moment is really good. It really helps to get better when you have someone in front of you who is so good." (trouw.nl, 22 Jan 2021) FURTHER EDUCATION She has also studied for a degree in environmental and natural sciences at the Open University in the Netherlands. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Sep 2023)
Most influential person in career	Her family. (schaatsen.nl, 29 Nov 2021)
Hobbies	Drawing. (helden.media, 24 Jan 2023)
Hero / Idol	Italian short track skater Arianna Fontana. (helden.media, 24 Jan 2023)
Ambitions	To win gold at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (helden.media, 24 Jan 2023)