Most students are now in the last weeks of the school year, but Janna van Kooten is currently working on something completely different. The 19-year-old top swimmer is preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris. She will start as one of four participants in the 4 x 200 metre freestyle. “It’s my little girl’s dream. I have healthy nerves, but I just let it happen.”
Although Janna is from Niekerk, she has been living and studying in Eindhoven for some time. She trains every day in the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium. In the hours she has left, she studies to become a pharmacy assistant at Summa College in the city. “I wanted to do something completely different than swimming, so that I also have a bit of distraction.”
Customisation
To combine top sport and school, the swimmer uses a tailor-made program. A top sports coordinator helps her with communication and ensures good planning. “It’s quite difficult. They understand my situation a lot and know that swimming comes first.” Janna may experience a year’s delay in her studies due to swimming, but she doesn’t mind that. “In Eindhoven I mainly do practical assignments and when I am abroad I work on theory.”
Preparation
From her training camp in Italy, Janna talks about the preparation for the big tournament. “Before we left for Terni, I passed my last exams. My school work is done for this year.” She travels to Rome on Thursday for her last competition before the Olympic Games start.
During this competition, Van Kooten can still qualify for the 200 metre freestyle. “I have the feeling that I am just running out of time. I got sick in February and that threw a bit of a spanner in the works. We will see what is in it and otherwise I will swim the limit time at the Games.”
Realistic
She hopes to go as far as possible at the Games together with her teammates. “We hope we reach the final, that would be great. There are very good countries participating and the level has been very high lately. If we are all at our best, we should succeed.” When it comes to a medal, Janna remains down-to-earth. “Of course that’s a dream, but that’s something I don’t think is realistic.”
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
