This Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Dutch athletes who participated on behalf of the national team at the Inclusive & Special Needs Taekwondo World Championships in Italy will be honored.
Rijk Roest from Bovenkerk competed in this World Cup for the first time and came home with two gold and one silver medal. Rijk was born in Amsterdam, but has lived in Bovenkerk with his mother and brothers since 2016.
For these athletes with a challenge, it was an eventful trip: due to storm Amy, several flights were canceled and at the awards ceremony, some of the medals won even turned out to be lost. Thanks to the efforts of the coach, these medals have since been tracked down and returned to Italy. During the tribute ceremony, these missing medals will be officially presented to the athletes, finally giving them the celebratory moment they deserve.
The Dutch team delivered a historic performance with a total of no less than 50 medals:
🏅 22x gold
🥈 17x silver
🥉 11x bronze
In doing so, the Netherlands finished first and achieved a unique milestone: the largest number of medals ever won by a Dutch team at a world championship - in any sport.
The tributes will take place throughout the day in Amstelveen, Aalsmeer and Diemen, among others.
The last and concluding tribute is in Uithoorn, and is also the only one that does not take place in a town hall. Here all athletes are jointly honored, and sponsors and residents are also thanked for their support and donations.