Dai Dai N'tab

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Name of coach	Jac Orie [club], NED
When and where did you begin this sport?	He first tried speed skating at age 12 on an ice track in Oisterwijk, Netherlands.
Reason for choosing this sport	He came into contact with the sport through inline skating. He practised both sports until he had to choose between them at age 18.
Club / Team	Team Jumbo-Visma: Netherlands

Ambitions	To compete at the Olympic Winter Games. (schaatsen.nl, 03 Oct 2022)
Other information	MISSING PYEONGCHANG AND BEIJING He was unable to secure a qualification berth for either the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang or the 2022 Games in Beijing. He was disqualified for two false starts at the 2018 Dutch Olympic Trials and finished in second place in the 500m at the 2022 national trials, which was only good enough for a place as a travelling reserve in Beijing. He struggled to come to terms with the disappointment following the 2022 Games in Beijing and reached out to a psychologist before eventually overcoming his mental troubles on his own. "During my vacation I really ran away from it [the disappointment of not qualifying]. And then it wasn't about why I didn't make it to the Games, it was about not completing my mission and I felt bad about that. I just didn't want to think about that at all on vacation. Skating is not just training for me, it's a way of life. When I lie in bed at night, I think, 'How can I do my next workout better? How can I skate better?' And that experience was always painful. And so all the training sessions were confrontational. I tried it [seeing a psychologist], but found it wasn't necessary for me. Everyone has to do it their own way, it didn't work for me. I am a real talker, mirror a lot with the people who are close to me. I could come to other insights with a psychologist, but I love this sport too much to get stuck in it. I'd like to look ahead and focus on how I can get good this season. Stirring in last season would mean that I still feel very bad, while I am actually good in my own skin. I don't need to look back on it every time. I have now turned the switch and I am enjoying my new training approach." (schaatsen.nl, 03 Oct 2022) OLYMPIC MOVE In 2020 he made the switch from Team Reggeborgh to Team Jumbo-Visma. Part of his motivation to make the move was to help his preparations for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. "A different route, a new trainer, a different training group, two years before the Games. You don't often get such a chance in your career. I also think that I am now training harder and more than in the past. The approach is very different from what I was used to. It is more of a scientific way of working. How the training is approached, how we are tested, I am currently learning a lot and that is quite exciting." (ad.nl, 07 Jun 2020; nhnieuws.nl, 01 Jul 2020) HERITAGE He has a Dutch mother and a Senegalese father. (nrc.nl, 17 Nov 2019; nos.nl, 01 Nov 2014)
Nicknames	Alexandre [a name that is also shown in his passport], Gifkikker ['Poisonous frog', a nickname given to him by his teammates for being so energetic]. (nrc.nl, 17 Nov 2019; schaatsen.nl, 20 Feb 2014)
Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs	He always gets his hair cut before a competition. (nos.nl, 10 Jan 2020)
Injuries	He sustained a groin injury in the late part of 2015. (schaatsen.nl, 17 Oct 2016)
Hero / Idol	US speed skater Shani Davis, Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, Dutch speed skater Ronald Mulder. (Athlete, 13 Nov 2017; omroepbrabant.nl, 05 Jul 2017)