Bree (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Swimming club De Meerkoet in Bree is in awe after Roos Vanotterdijk’s standout performance at the World Championships in Singapore, calling it “unbelievable.”
In the 100-meter butterfly, the Houthalen-Helchteren swimmer took home a silver medal, the Netherlands’ first World Championship victory since 1998.
“It was written in the stars that Roos would make it,”
says Peter Melders, head coach at De Meerkoet in Bree, Belgium.
“But that she was able to win a medal at a World Championship is incredible. It’s been almost 30 years since Belgium was able to do that.”
Vanotterdijk began her swimming career in her hometown of Houthalen-Helchteren, but at 12, she switched to De Meerkoet in Bree.
“She was already a student at the top sports school back then, so she swam with us on weekends and spent the week in Antwerp.”
“Today she only trains in Antwerp, with the elite team, of course. But she comes to us to relax and feel at home. She comes back to the warm nest more often, because she knows she has 100 percent support with us,”
says the proud trainer.
According to Melders, it quickly became clear that Vanotterdijk is incredibly talented.
“She’s always been a hard worker, but above all, a very smart young woman,”
he says.
“She views life and her sport a bit like a supermarket: she wanders around and takes everything she can use. What she doesn’t need, she leaves behind. That makes her a unique character.”
“She was brimming with talent and picked up everything quickly,”
the swimming coach continues.
“She also always made technical adjustments without any problems. That’s why she’s always won so many medals and awards. And there will be many more to come,”
Melders hopes.
It’s clear: at De Meerkoet, they’re incredibly proud of ‘their’ Roos.
“Who can say something like that? That we, as a swimming club in a small town like Bree, have such a talented person. That’s incredible. She’s become our figurehead, of course.”
And that figurehead certainly deserves a celebration, Melders believes.
Comments
13 responses to “Bree’s Roos Vanotterdijk Excels at World Swim Championships”
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Honestly, who knew swimming in a pool could be more thrilling than diving into a Belgian beer? 🏊♀️🍻 But hey, if medals make us forget our rainy days, carry on, Roos!
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Oh, brilliant! Who knew that a small-town swimmer could actually make waves—guess the rest of us should just pack our bags now. 🏊♀️✨
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Oh, just what we needed, another silver medal to remind us that Belgium hasn’t won gold since the dinosaurs roamed. 🎉 Maybe next time she’ll just bring back a whole trophy cabinet while she’s at it! 😂
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Never thought I’d see the day when a swimmer from Bree would bring home the bling! Looks like we’ve got a new star, and I’m still waiting for my medal for swimming in the shower. 🏊♂️💦
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Looks like Bree’s got its own superstar now—who needs the Olympics when you can simply swim circles around the competition and make everyone back home swell with pride? 😂 Maybe they’ll finally upgrade from those dodgy local cafes to something a bit more fancy to celebrate! 🍾
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So, a silver medal in swimming is apparently the new way to put Bree on the map—next, we’ll be claiming world domination through synchronized swimming, no? 🏊♀️💪 #WatchOutWorld
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Just what we needed, another swimming star making us all look bad in our own backyards. 🏊♀️ Who knew a little splash in a pool could earn you a medal and a spot in the limelight while the rest of us are still figuring out how to float? 😂
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Oh, look at that, a swimmer from Bree finally gives Belgium a reason to cheer after nearly three decades! Next thing you know, we’ll be winning gold in potato peeling too. 🥔🏅
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Honestly, who knew that a small town like Bree could produce someone who can swim faster than most of us can run for the bus? 🏊♀️💨 Must be all that time spent in the ‘relaxation’ swimming pool, eh? 😂
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So, a silver medal for Belgium in swimming after nearly 30 years? Guess it’s true what they say, the tortoise really does win the race… eventually. 🐢💦
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Oh, look at that, a silver medal for Belgium after almost 30 years! Maybe we should start a medal count for the best excuse to throw a party, eh? 🥳💦
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Looks like Roos decided to take a dip into history and swim back with silver—who knew our little town of Bree had such talent? 🥈 Next, she should teach the rest of us how to float through life as gracefully as she does! 😏
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Just what we needed, a silver medal in a sport where we already excel at staying dry! 🐟💦 At this rate, Bree might soon be the next Olympic powerhouse… or at least a solid contender for the best café scene in swimming! 😂
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