Tineke den Dulk

www.facebook.com/tineke.dendulk.7
twitter.com/shorttracktinus

Club / Team	Ice Racing Team Antartica [BEL] / Ice Diamonds Antwerp [BEL]:
Reason for choosing this sport	She attended a trial session in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. "I had signed up through school, but I remember asking my mother, 'Short track speed skating, what is that actually?' I was immediately sold. My mother and I used to rollerblade and short track is a bit like rollerblading."
Name of coach	Pieter Gysel [national], BEL; Steven Peeters [national]
When and where did you begin this sport?	She took up the sport at age 10 in Leeuwarden, Netherlands.

Ambitions	To compete at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing. (kbsf.be, 10 Feb 2021)
Injuries	A sprained ankle injury prevented her from competing at the 2017 European Championships in Turin, Italy. (frieschdagblad.nl, 16 Feb 2021)
Sporting philosophy / motto	"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions." (Instagram profile, 27 Oct 2021; Athlete, 22 Nov 2021)
Other information	FROM THE NETHERLANDS TO BELGIUM Having originally represented the Netherlands at international level, including winning gold as part of the Dutch women's 3000m relay team at the 2019 European Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands, she transferred her sporting allegiance to Belgium in 2021. She moved to Hasselt, Belgium, in 2019 to train with the Belgian national short track team before gaining Belgian citizenship in 2021. "I wanted to skate for another country and [Belgian short track skater] Hanne Desmet, who trains in Heerenveen [Netherlands], asked me if I would come and skate for Belgium. After a few conversations with [Belgian] national coach Pieter Gysel and then also with the chairman of the Belgian federation, I started to look more seriously to see if it was all possible. After that I sat down with my parents and we decided that it is a feasible idea, with a nice team that offers great opportunities. I like it very much here. I'm really enjoying myself and I feel at home in the team." (kbsf.be, 10 Feb 2021; sporza.be, 12 Dec 2020) OTHER STUDIES In 2021 she began studying film studies and visual culture at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. (Facebook profile, 08 Oct 2021; Athlete, 22 Nov 2021)
Hobbies	Watching films, reading, spending time with friends. (Athlete, 22 Nov 2021)
Memorable sporting achievement	Winning gold as part of the Dutch women's 3000m relay team at the 2019 European Championships in Dordrecht, Netherlands. (Athlete, 22 Nov 2021)
Nicknames	Tinus [a club coach began calling her this]. (Athlete, 22 Nov 2021)