OSF Events

Sharon: "My ambitions have always been high. My biggest dream was always to become an Olympic champion in open water, so that always kept playing in the back of my mind."

That also meant that everything had to give way for that: training every day and going to bed at 9pm, regular muscle pain and little free time - a standard day in the life of the Dutch swimmer. Sharon gives 100 per cent.

In 2021, Sharon won gold in both the 5 and 10 km at the European Championships. She then took home the silver medal in the 10 km at the Tokyo Olympics. 2021 already was a very successful year, but this year she added to it.

Sharon: "When I crossed the finish line and won at the World Championships, I could cry with joy. At such a moment, I think: my parents must be going crazy. Everyone was really happy and that's what I work so hard for at the end of the day." Van Rouwendaal won gold in the 10 km at this year's World Open Water Swimming Championships and is, rightly, super proud of it. That was not the only victory of 2022. She also won bronze in the 25 km at the same World Championships and closed with gold in the 5 km at the European Championships.

Sharon: "I like to be in my own bubble. In my head, I also do not see or care about other people because I am so focused. In the race, you also have to stay calm, because sometimes you shouldn't start too fast and swim away. It is also important to trust yourself, as I usually get many doubts during the race. For example, you start thinking: am I good enough? Or what if I don't win? And then when it works out at one point, everything falls into place and I think to myself: you see, I knew beforehand that I could do it, I just had to show it."

Even though the year is not over yet, the swimming season has nearly ended. But Sharon has one more race to go - and so the focus is now entirely on that last Word cup of the year. Sharon: "This race takes place in November, and is very important for me, as it determines the overall ranking." Because Sharon has finished second twice and first once this year, she is now in shared first place. So the World Open Water Swimming Championships in November are going to make the difference. Sharon: "I have never won such an overall ranking before, so everything depends on this. I want and need to swim well there."

We also asked Sharon with what the goal for the new year is. But she doesn't have to think long about that: "We have another World Championships in 2023 and at that World Championship I can qualify for the Olympics, but then I have to make the top three. It used to be that you had to make the top 10 to get a spot, but now it's the top three so that's a tough ranking. But it's not impossible, so that's what I'm really going for."

We are convinced that Sharon will succeed and look forward to another great year of competition.

Since 2020, Sharon van Rouwendaal has been a Texaco brand ambassador. Texaco has found an ambassador in Sharon who perfectly matches the reputation of its products: the best performance under all circumstances. Sharon: "Wanting to be number 1 means you want to beat everyone. In my view, that gives the extra incentive to become even better. That is why the Texaco brand and I fit together so well".