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Ranomi Kromowidjojo, the Dutch double Olympic sprint champion of London 2012, has urged her fans and nation to help fight the coronavirus (COVID-19) by making “sensible choices” and embracing “drastic measures” to help keep grandparents and the vulnerable alive and well.
In a moving note posted on her social-media accounts as the Dutch Swim Cups and Olympic qualifiers were cancelled, Kromowidjojo asks “who should decide who should and shouldn’t live”, paints a picture of the strict hygiene measures she is taking, praises the “our heroes who work in healthcare” just before she hears the news that her training based has been shut down as she writes.
Kromowidjojo, partner of Olympic swim marathon champion and teammate Ferry Weertman, reveals that local pool closures means that she and teammates will travel to a training venue in The Netherlands “with guaranteed safety hygiene etc, indefinitely, so that we can continue to train hard for our Great Olympic Dream for the time being”.
Featured on the cover of Swimming World last month, Kromowidjojo, the Olympic gold medallist over 50m and 100m freestyle for The Netherlands at London 2012 and winner of 78 international medals, topped by 40 golds, for her country, writes:
Unfortunately it has been decided that the swim Cups / OKT in The Hague and Eindhoven will be canceled next month. This means we don’t have an OS qualification in April.
This also means that the Ranomi Cup in The Hague will not take place in April.
At the moment it is difficult to say what will happen in the coming weeks, months. In the sporting field this is of course super small, but this goes much further. As individuals we also have the responsibility for the elderly and “weak” in our society.
This virus is spreading. We can try to inhibit the spread as hard as possible. Drastic measures are needed to prevent hospitals / ICs from filling up across the whole of the Netherlands. After all, who should decide who should and shouldn’t live?
Grandpa and grandma with pneumonia. Or my dad who needs eye surgery. Or my brother who had a car accident?
For the time being, I can continue to train in the Tongelreep pool. In addition to the strict hygiene protocol (washing and disinfecting hands, not cuddling etc, etc), the measures are very strict.
For example, we can no longer use the changing rooms, take a shower at home, we have a separate room for land training exercises and we also have to change clothes, keep away from each other and no (minimal) contact with others …
Once again, a big Shout Out and respect to our heroes who work in healthcare! Let’s hope that all of us will make sensible choices in the coming weeks and stay healthy as much as possible.
**** BREAKING **** At the moment I want to post this message, we have a scheduled team meeting. The Tongelreep pool is immediately closed and there is uncertainty whether it can be opened for us and for how long. The situation in Brabant is also uncertain. From tomorrow we go internally to a training camp with guaranteed safety hygiene etc indefinitely so that we can continue to train hard for our Great Olympic Dream for the time being ?????”
The Original In Dutch
Extraordinary Events In Swimming History:
Australia, China, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Italy, France, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil and Japan have all had major meets affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while in the United States, the NCAA Championships have been cancelled and USA Swimming has imposed a 30-day suspension on all events, while Canada is considering what to do about its Olympic trials early next month. In Italy, where swimmers are struggling to maintain normal routines, can’t get to practice and in some cases find pool time, a #stopolympics campaign was launched by the Nuoto website calling on solidarity among swimming nations to recognise that Olympic preparations have been blown off course and that it would be in the interests of fairness to postpone the Games for a time of calm beyond the coronavirus crisis.
Our coverage:
- Dutch Olympic-Qualifier Swim Cups Cancelled In Coronavirus Lockdown
- The Soak – Swim Ireland Announces Postponement Of Olympic Trials Until End Of June
- Swimming Australia Cancels Australian Championships And Age Nationals to Combat Coronaavirus
- Swimming Canada Evaluating Possible Contingency Plans for Olympic Trials
- Spanish Swimming Nationals And Olympic Trials Latest In Wave Of Coronavirus Cancellations
- NCAA Cancels Winter Championships, Including Swimming And Diving
- USA Swimming to Cancel All Events For 30 Days Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic
- France Cancels Junior Nationals On Extraordinary Day In Swim History Ahead of Crunch Decision On Olympic Trials
- Scandinavian Swimming Shutdown: Danish Open, Olympic Trials, Swim Open Stockholm Off; Pools Shut & Norway Bans All Sport Events In Coronavirus Lockdown
- FINA Confirms Postponement of the Men’s Olympic Water Polo Qualifier in Rotterdam
- FINA Cancels/ Postpones Swathe Of Aquatic Events Due To Coronavirus Pandemic, Some Decisions Pending
- Peaty, Anderson & Co Set For Edinburgh Against The Backdrop Of Coronavirus
- Italian Struggle To Find Swimming Pools To Train In Sparks #stopolympics Coronavirus Lockdown Campaign
- The Soak – WADA Warns Of Unintended Consequences As Rodchenkov Act On Whistleblowing Takes Step Closer To Becoming U.S. Law
- British Olympic Association & Athletes Reach Agreement Over IOC Rule
- WHO Set To Give ‘Basic Thoughts’ On Olympics & Coronavirus As Unrepentant Tokyo 2020 Board Member Sounds “Warning Bell”
- NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championships Now Closed to Spectators
- COVID-19 Leads Argentina to Cancel South American Championships
- Ivy League To Cancel All Athletic Events Through Remainder Of Spring
- Coronavirus Causes China Olympic Swimming Trials Postponement
- Italy Cancels Olympic Swim Trials & Wave Of Other Aquatic Championships In Coronavirus Lockdown
Guidance on Water and Coronavirus
Todd Mac