Nils van der Poel

Hobbies

Skydiving, trail running. (expressen.se, 29 Dec 2020; vasterastindning.se, 15 Dec 2020)

Reason for choosing this sport	He took up skating because his sister had a pair of boots that she did not want to use anymore. He began speed skating as his father convinced him it would help him become a better ice hockey player. "Skating is about 80% of bandy [an ice hockey variant], so I started speed skating to improve when I was eight years old. As a kid I was very motivated in sports."
When and where did you begin this sport?	He took up ice hockey at age six and first tried speed skating at age eight in Trollhattan, Sweden. He began focusing solely on the track at age 10.

Sporting philosophy / motto

"The feeling that it's hard, the lactic [acid] in your legs, becomes a sign of how well you're doing in the race. You learn to think, 'Okay, I've got 13 laps to go. This is how it's supposed to feel, do I feel better or worse? I can adjust'. The true challenge of the 10,000m is to stay mentally strong and keep pushing those lap times." (isu.org, 21 Jan 2021)

www.facebook.com/nilspoel
twitter.com/NilsPoel

Hero / Idol	Swedish ultra distance runner Rune Larsson. (Athlete, 11 Nov 2017)
Other information	RETIREMENT In March 2022 he announced his retirement from international competition. "I'm an athlete, and I'm always going to be an athlete, and I'm going to keep training. If my level just happened to be strong enough next year [speaking in 2022] to perform a decent 10km then I think I don't see why I wouldn't go for that, but that's not going to be like a competitive international stage. I think if I could do a 10km in 13 minutes then I'm still a walk-up speed skater level. Then I think I would go to see my friends and have a good time with them, nothing more serious than that." (volkskrant.nl, 28 Oct 2022; Stephen Seiler YouTube channel, 22 Mar 2022; cyclingtips.com, 17 Mar 2022; aftonbladet.se, 03 Mar 2022) BREAK AND RETURN Shortly after the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, he took a break from the sport. He spent one year serving in the Swedish military in Arvidsjaur, Sweden, and one year focusing on ultra running. He returned to competitive speed skating in December 2020 at an international competition in Inzell, Germany, where he won the 10,000m in a world season-best time. Two months later at the 2021 World Single Distances Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands, he won gold in the 5000m, and also claimed the 10,000m title in a world-record time of 12:32.95. "For me, it was sacrificing skating for two years to do something else, so that in the long run I can get where I want to go. Most people did not consider it a good thing for my speed skating career, but I believed in it, I gave it my heart and I'm glad I did it." (runnersworld.se, 11 Feb 2022; espn.co.uk, 14 Feb 2021; isu.org, 21 Jan 2021; expressen.se, 17 Jan 2021, 29 Dec 2020; nord.news, 16 Jan 2021; svt.se, 27 Dec 2020; speedskatingresults.com, 13 Dec 2020) SHAKING UP SKATING He says that speed skating can be too serious and wants to help make the sport more interesting. "We need some more rock stars and more intrigue in skating. It's nice to try to make the sport more than just the conversations about rubber suits and equipment. I feel like the atmosphere in our sport is sometimes a bit too serious. Skating is so sterile, there's so much competition, so much measuring, it's so much about lap times. We have to remember that we also have to have fun and enjoy it. I would be proud if I could shake up our sport. You sometimes see guys on the ice rink who don't say hello to others and just stay with their own group. If I can change that, I'd love to." (nu.nl, 14 Nov 2021; schaatsen.nl, 09 Oct 2021) HERITAGE He has a Dutch grandfather and a Hungarian grandmother. (isu.org, 21 Jan 2021)
Most influential person in career	Dutch speed skater Patrick Roest. (isu.org, 11 Feb 2021)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold and setting a world record in the 10,000m at the 2021 World Single Distances Championships in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (espn.co.uk, 14 Feb 2021)
Milestones	He became the first Swedish speed skater to win a gold medal at the world single distances championships, when he was victorious in the 5000m at the 2021 edition in Heerenveen, Netherlands. He also went on to win gold in the 10,000m at the tournament. (SportsDeskOnline, 16 Feb 2021; isu.org, 11 Feb 2021)
Awards and honours	In 2021 he was presented with the Oscar Mathisen Memorial Award, an international award presented to the speed skater with the most outstanding performance of the previous season. (isu.org, 20 Nov 2021)