July 2006 was a month to recollect for a 15 12 months previous known as Ranomi Kromowidjojo.
A silver for the Dutch teenager within the 50m freestyle was accompanied by bronze within the butterfly sprint on the European Junior Championships in Palma de Mallorca.
Three weeks later, {the teenager} made her senior worldwide debut on the European Championships in Budapest and emerged with a silver medal as one quarter of the Dutch 4x100m freestyle relay.
Nonetheless simply 16, Ranomi received relay bronze on the World Championships in Melbourne the next 12 months earlier than she wrote her title into the historical past books in 2008.
First up had been the European Championships in Eindhoven in her native Netherlands the place the 4x100m freestyle relay not solely received gold however broke the world document within the course of.
Then on to Beijing the place the 4 girls received the Olympic title days earlier than Ranomi’s 18th birthday.
Since then the Dutch relay has received two extra world titles – with one other world document in 2009 – silver on the 2012 Olympics and bronze on the final World Championships in Barcelona.
So, what is essential to the crew’s constant success?
“I don’t assume there are secrets and techniques,” muses Ranomi, now 24.
“I believe we’re fortunate within the Netherlands: we now have plenty of feminine swimmers who swim the 50 and 100 freestyle so we’ve had good swimmers for just a few years for that squad and numbers 5, six and 7 additionally.
“Since 2006 we now have had a very good relay. Three or 4 are nonetheless in there and that’s actually particular.
“I believe we’re a very robust crew. In a relay we’re a crew after which on different days we’re rivals. Once we are a relay it is only one crew so there isn’t any rivalry or something like that.”
Inge Dekker has been on each medal-winning relay crew with Ranomi since 2006 with Femke Heemskerk coming in a 12 months later with the trio all set for the World Championships in Kazan.
For Ranomi, an important ingredient for relay success is regard in your fellow crew members moderately than shut friendship out of the pool.
“We are able to get alongside rather well with one another, not like greatest buddies however I believe respect is a very powerful factor.
“We respect one another and every others selections and variations.
“And when you’re able to race then you might be wanting to attain one thing.”
Neither do they practice a lot on technical relay elements equivalent to changeovers however as a substitute 4 speedy girls on prime of their sport is paramount.
“It’s not like a crew sport as a result of in a relay it’s important to swim your personal factor and the one who’s swimming has to complete actually robust so the one who’s on the block can take over actually quick.
“I believe it’s actually essential the swimmers are actually in a good condition and respect one another and actually need to swim for one another.”
And particular person success versus crew achievements?
“It seems to be like I’m extra completely happy in a relay crew as a result of you possibly can share your happiness and your feelings since you are 4 completely happy women.
“However particular person is extra essential.”
“Kazan, a mix of swimming and flolklore”: discover out extra concerning the metropolis!
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