Kjeld Nuis

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Club / Team	Team Jumbo-Visma: Netherlands
Reason for choosing this sport	His first recollection of skating was of watching Dutch speed skater Rintje Ritsma compete in a World Cup race on television. He took up the sport because he enjoyed the movement and the feeling of it.
Name of coach	Jac Orie [club], NED
When and where did you begin this sport?	He began skating at age seven on a course in Leiden, Netherlands.

Other information	SPEED RECORD In March 2018 he set a record for the fastest speed achieved on ice skates in Lulea, Sweden. He reached a top speed of 93kph on a 1500m-long natural ice track, protected from winds by a front-runner car with an air shield. "It was a pretty weird experience. It was like I was flying on the ice. My performance is a team effort, because more than 40 people were involved in the preparation. I am almost as thrilled as I was at the Olympic Games." (lequipe.fr, 29 Mar 2018) SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST After missing out on selection for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, he began seeing a sports psychologist. Prior to this he says he was easily affected by factors out of his control, such as an ice resurfacer coming on just before his race. Through the psychologist he has learned to adjust his mental approach, and has implemented techniques such as breathing exercises, counting heartbeats and writing things down to cope with stress. "I am convinced that it works for me." (nsl.nl, 30 Dec 2017; nos.nl, 18 Oct 2017)
Most influential person in career	His father. (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017)
Injuries	He suffered a minor shoulder injury after he crashed while mountain biking in December 2016. He recovered in time to compete at the 2016 World Cup event in Heerenveen, Netherlands. (isu.org, 10 Dec 2016)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold in the 1000m and 1500m at the 2017 World Single Distances Championships in Gangneung, Republic of Korea. (nos.nl, 12 Feb 2017)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Carpe diem." [Sieze the day] (Athlete, 27 Jan 2017)
Awards and honours	In December 2018 he received the Jaap Eden Trophy for being named Athlete of the Year by the Dutch Olympic Committee and Dutch Sports Federation [NOC*NSF]. (telegraaf.nl, 19 Dec 2018; nos.nl, 19 Dec 2018) In April 2018 he was named an honorary citizen of Emmen in the Netherlands. (ad.nl, 08 Apr 2018) In March 2018 he was made Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of the gold medal he won at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (shaatsen.nl, 26 Mar 2018; lintjes.nl, 2018) In March 2018 he was the male recipient of the Ard Schenk Award in the Netherlands. (schaatsen.nl, 28 Mar 2018)