Marlou van Rhijn (; born 22 October 1991) is a retired professional
Dutch former professional
sprint runner. Van Rhijn, who was born without lower legs,
is the world record holder for
T43 in the
100 and
200 metres
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
events and ran with the aid of
carbon fibre
Carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (American English), carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (Commonwealth English), carbon-fiber-reinforced plastics, carbon-fiber reinforced-thermoplastic (CFRP, CRP, CFRTP), also known as carbon fiber, carbon compo ...
transtibial artificial limb
In medicine, a prosthesis (plural: prostheses; from grc, πρόσθεσις, prósthesis, addition, application, attachment), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through trau ...
s. She competed in
T44 (single below knee incapacity) events though she was classified in
T43 (double below knee). She announced her retirement in June 2021.
Personal
Marlou van Rhijn was born on 22 October 1991 in
Monnickendam
Monnickendam () is a city in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Waterland, and lies on the coast of the Markermeer, about southeast of Purmerend. It received city rights in 1355 and was damaged by the fir ...
in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
She studied commercial economics at the
Johan Cruyff Institute
Johan Cruyff Institute is an educational institution, founded by Dutch footballer Johan Cruyff, aimed at educating athletes, sport and business professionals in the field of sport management.
History
The academic institution was founded in 1999 ...
in Amsterdam.
Swimming
Until 2009, Van Rhijn was a member of the national team for swimmers with a disability. Amongst others, she was swimming at a World and a European championship. She swam several Dutch national records. She competed in the
S9 class and focused on the 50 and 100 meter freestyle.
She stopped swimming competitively in 2010 due to lack of motivation.
Athletics
Van Rhijn switched sports in 2010, after being approached by
Guido Bonsen, coach of the Dutch Parathletics Team. She did a trial, and was hooked.
Van Rhijn became a member of the ''Dutch Parathletics Team'' of the
Koninklijke Nederlandse Atletiek Unie. Despite qualifying as T43, she competes in the class T44 at the 100 and 200 meters. She qualified for the
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Ga ...
in May 2012, while competing at the
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico (English: ''Olympic Stadium'') is the largest sports facility in Rome, Italy, seating over 70,000 spectators. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex, north of the city. The structure is owned by the Italian N ...
. She was invested as a Knight of the
Order of Orange-Nassau
The Order of Orange-Nassau ( nl, Orde van Oranje-Nassau, links=no) is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands.
The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has ...
after winning her Paralympic medals.
She left the national paralympic team. She started training after the Paralympic Games in Ookmeer, Amsterdam with her new coach
Parcy Marte, who also trains non-paralympic people.
In the build up to the
2016 Summer Paralympics
The 2016 Summer Paralympics (), the 15th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for disabled sports, athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, fro ...
she was supportive of
Shardea Arias de la Cruz when she decided to create a Paralympic committee and team for the small island nation of
Aruba
Aruba ( , , ), officially the Country of Aruba ( nl, Land Aruba; pap, Pais Aruba) is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands physically located in the mid-south of the Caribbean Sea, about north of the Venezuela peninsula of P ...
.
Achievements
Athletics
Swimming
References
External links
*
*
Marlou van Rhijn at London 2012Marlou van Rhijnat the ''
Koninklijke Nederlandse Atletiek Unie''
Personal swimming records of Marlou van Rhijn
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhijn, Marlou Van
1991 births
Living people
Sprinters with limb difference
Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Dutch female sprinters
Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Paralympics
Medalists at the 2016 Summer Paralympics
Paralympic athletes of the Netherlands
Paralympic gold medalists for the Netherlands
Paralympic silver medalists for the Netherlands
People from Monnickendam
World record holders in Paralympic athletics
World Para Athletics Championships winners
Medalists at the World Para Athletics European Championships
Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
Sportspeople from North Holland
Paralympic sprinters
20th-century Dutch women
21st-century Dutch women