Bart Swings

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Reason for choosing this sport	He initially took up roller speed skating but the sport was not part of the Olympic programme. He therefore made the switch to speed skating on ice in order to pursue his Olympic dream. "You dream of the Olympic Games, the pinnacle for every athlete, but roller speed skating is not an Olympic sport. If it was, I would never have made the switch."
Club / Team	Team IKO: Heerenveen, NED
Name of coach	Erik Bouwman [club], NED; Erwin ten Hove [club], NED; Martin ten Hove [club], NED
When and where did you begin this sport?	He took up roller speed skating at age eight. He began speed skating in 2010 in Germany.

Hobbies	Watching television, surfing, watching cycling. (fokus-online.be, 25 Oct 2019)
Ambitions	To compete at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. (teambelgium.be, 01 Jul 2022)
Milestones	In 2022 he became the first athlete from any sport to win a gold medal at both the Olympic Winter Games and the World Games. Having previously claimed four gold medals in roller speed skating at the World Games, he took the men's mass start title in ice speed skating at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and then claimed a further three roller speed skating titles at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, AL, United States of America. (The World Games Twitter profile, 27 Sep 2022; SportsDeskOnline, 10 Nov 2022) He became the first Belgian speed skater to claim an Olympic Winter Games gold medal when he took the men's mass start title at the 2022 edition in Beijing. It was the second gold medal for Belgium at the Olympic Winter Games and the first in 74 years. (SportsDeskOnline, 10 Nov 2022) He became the first Belgian athlete in 20 years to win a medal at the Olympic Winter Games when he claimed silver in the mass start at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (SportsDeskOnline, 17 Oct 2018; nieuwsblad.be, 24 Feb 2018)
Awards and honours	In 2018 he was made an Honorary Citizen of Herent, Belgium. In 2021 a sports centre in Herent was named after him. (Facebook page, 27 Jul 2021; schaatsen.nl, 25 Jun 2021; nieuwsblad.be, 13 Apr 2018) He was flag bearer for Belgium at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (OIS, 25 Feb 2018) He received the 2014 Flemish Sportjuweel [Flemish Sports Jewel], an award presented annually to an athlete who has delivered a remarkable and exceptional sporting performance. (dezondag.be, 06 Nov 2016)
Other information	DOUBLE GAMES GOLD In 2022 he became the first athlete to claim gold medals at both the Olympic Winter Games and the World Games. He won gold in the mass start at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing and later claimed three gold medals in roller speed skating at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, AL, United States of America. The 2022 World Games were originally scheduled to take place in 2021 but were postponed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "That is indeed unique [winning at both events in the same year]. It's exceptional that both events take place in the same year this year, but it doesn't really matter. It would also be unique otherwise. I am proud that I can continue to do the combination skating-inline skating successfully. Inline skating is my passion I will always love it. I'm very proud to have won Olympic gold in speed skating, which is also a great sport, but my heart still sticks to roller skating." (demorgen.be, 09 Jul 2022; teambelgium.be, 01 Jul 2022) ROLLER SKATING VS SPEED SKATING He got into the sport through roller speed skating, which he took up at age eight after receiving roller skates as a Christmas present. He began speed skating after watching the sport on television, but he still feels more comfortable skating on land rather than ice. "I find inline skating so much easier, I don't have to even think about it. It's like I was born with inline skates on my feet. In ice skating I really have to focus and think about it, but when I'm doing well I really do enjoy it. The movements and muscle groups are about the same, everything else is different. Inline skating is in the peloton, you only do skating. The attitude is also different. With a time trial of 5km [on the ice] you do not skate against an opponent, but against yourself. It is sometimes said that you regularly find yourself on ice, that's right." (fokus-online.be, 25 Oct 2019; bigwheelblading.com, 09 Oct 2017) FURTHER EDUCATION He has studied for master's degrees in civil engineering and electrical engineering. (nieuwsblad.be, 13 Feb 2020; kuleuven.be, 19 Feb 2022)
Injuries	He was out of action for over a month in 2022 due to a groin injury. (Facebook page, 05 May 2022; Instagram profile, 24 Jun 2022; teambelgium.be, 01 Jul 2022) He was suffering from sickness and a knee inflammation at the start of the 2017/18 season. (isu.org, 10 Dec 2017)
Most influential person in career	Coach Jelle Spruyt, and his brother Maarten. (Athlete, 20 Nov 2018)
Hero / Idol	US speed skater Chad Hedrick, Belgian cyclists Sven Nys and Tom Boonen. (Athlete, 28 Jan 2017; dezondag.be, 06 Nov 2016)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Stay focused on your goal, never quit." (Athlete, 20 Nov 2018)
Other sports	He has represented Belgium in roller speed skating. He claimed 34 medals [15 gold, 10 silver, nine bronze] in total across seven editions of the world championships between 2009 and 2019. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Nov 2022; dezondag.be, 06 Nov 2016; schaatsen.nl, 10 Apr 2012)
Famous relatives	His brother Maarten has represented Belgium in roller speed skating and speed skating, winning two gold medals in roller speed skating at the 2014 European Championships in Geisingen, Germany. (demorgen.be, 30 Sep 2013; SportsDeskOnline, 22 Dec 2020)