Your brother Rik was selected for the coxless four (M4-) and both your father and mother were successful in rowing at the Olympics. Was rowing shoved down your throat when you were little?
“No, absolutely not! I was aware of my parents’ success (father Nico Rienks won gold in 1988 and 1996, and mother Harriet van Ettekoven won bronze in 1984, Eds.), but I was not really interested in the sport. In fact, if my brother and I went to the rowing club with them, we went surfing or fishing.
I played tennis at a high level for a long time and also enjoyed football. When I realised that I would never be a top tennis player, I decided to give rowing a go. I was 17 when I rowed my first competition and became world champion within one year. When I came to TU Delft for my studies, I joined Laga. I took it a bit less seriously there and enjoyed being at the association. But over time it became more serious and now I’m going to the Games.”
For a long time it looked as though you would be going to Paris in the M4- team, along with your brother. Now you have a place in the Dutch 8+. What happened?
“The composition of the rowing teams depend a lot on where a country’s chances lie. In the last few years the Netherlands thought that it stood a good chance with the M4-. But after the last World Championship in Belgrade, it became clear that the country had the best chance with the 8+. We have a big group of equally strong rowers, the coaches are experienced in the 8+, and other countries have good M4-. So last winter, after the World Championships, we started putting together a good 8+ for the first time, and luckily I was selected.”
‘It’s amazing to share the same goal with other rowers, which in our case is to be the best in the world.’
What is it like to no longer be in the same boat as your brother?
“Fortunately all the teams see each other a lot, so in that sense I don’t miss him. But I would have liked to have competed with him in Paris.”
These are your first Games. What are you expecting?
“I assume that it will be lot like a World Championships rowing competition. This is partly because we will not be staying in the Olympic Village, but at a location close to the rowing area a little outside the city. The preparations won’t be that different either. I do expect more spectators though and see that there is more media attention than usual.”
What you think your chances at a medal are?
“A medal is definitely a possibility. Last year we won silver at the European championship and were very close to getting the gold. Our biggest competitors are the British, they have yet to be beaten.”
What is your studying and sporting life like and how do you combine the two?
“I started my master’s in 2021 and get about 20 or 30 points every year. I have put my study on hold for this half year so that I can completely concentrate on the Games. I am planning to graduate after summer and will then spend less time on rowing for a while.”
What are your most important motivating factors? What motivates you to give your all to rowing?
“It’s amazing to share the same goal with other rowers, which in our case is to be the best in the world. We also go to a lot of beautiful places, like now for example, we are doing altitude training in the Alps and are training on top of a mountain. I would much rather be doing this than sitting at a computer screen.”
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