TU Delft student Tijmen Snel qualifies for the Milan Olympics

Master’s student Tijmen Snel has secured qualification for the Olympic Games in Milan. At the Olympic Qualification Tournament (OQT) held in Thialf at the end of December, he recorded the second-fastest time in the 1,500 metres, earning an Olympic starting place.

In the 1,500 metres, Snel was beaten only by Joep Wennemars. Wennemars won in 1:43.43, while Snel finished second in 1:44.33, thereby securing his first-ever Olympic appearance.

For the Biomechanical Design student, qualification represents sporting redemption. Four years ago, Snel appeared set to qualify for the Olympic Games in Beijing, but despite finishing third in the 1,500 metres he was not selected. At the time, the selection committee of the Royal Dutch Skating Association (KNSB) opted for team-mate Marcel Bosker, who was deemed an indispensable member of the team pursuit squad.

Selection matrix

The KNSB uses a pre-determined selection matrix for Olympic qualification. The Netherlands may enter two to three skaters per distance, but may send only nine men and nine women in total. As a result, some skaters compete in multiple events, while others may be omitted, even after finishing on the podium at the Olympic Qualification Tournament.

The ranking within the matrix is based on previous international performances and expected medal prospects. In addition, there are three discretionary selection places per gender, for example to assemble strong teams for team pursuits such as the team sprint.

This selection method proved disadvantageous for master’s student Naomi Verkerk (Technical Medicine). She finished third in the 1,000 metres at the Olympic Qualification Tournament, yet was nevertheless left out of the final selection. In the matrix, she placed tenth, just outside the group of nine women the Netherlands is allowed to send.

Curling

Master’s student Tobias van den Hurk (Computer Science) will also not be competing in Milan. Together with the Dutch curling team, he narrowly missed qualification at the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Kelowna, Canada. The team finished fifth but needed to place among the top three nations to secure one of the two available Olympic berths.