{"id":127824,"date":"2021-06-09T13:55:41","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T11:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=127824"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:41","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:41","slug":"sadly-no-paralympics-for-student-rower-amber-meulenbeld","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/06\/09\/sadly-no-paralympics-for-student-rower-amber-meulenbeld\/","title":{"rendered":"Sadly no Paralympics for student rower Amber Meulenbeld"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Paralympic dream is over (for now) for rower Amber Meulenbeld. Fourth place during the Paralympic qualification competition (PKT) in Italy was not enough to go to Tokyo.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Amber Meulenbeld (middle) during a training.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRonald van den Heerik<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cI don\u2019t want to disappoint myself, just row as hard as I can<\/a>.\u201d After her last training sessions before the PKT, Meulenbeld was clear. Whatever happens in Italy, it won\u2019t be for lack of trying. So, despite the huge disappointment of missing out on a ticket, there is also pride. \u201cI gave everything, as a team we gave everything, we have nothing to be ashamed of,\u201d she says on the phone. \u201cWe rowed really well. We got a Dutch record and they were our best races so far. We did our best, but it wasn\u2019t enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tiny difference<\/h2>

A top two place during the PKT in Italy would have been enough to go to Tokyo. Eventually, after being in third place during most of the final, they came fourth. Favourites Canada and Brazil were just too good. The South Americans were the main target for Meulenbeld and her team, particularly after Friday\u2019s rounds. \u201cWe had a really difficult draw during the preliminary round on Thursday, because we were up against Canada and Brazil.\u201d<\/p>\n

Only number 1, Canada, went straight through to the final, but a day later the Dutch para-rowers got a place in the final. \u201cWe were less than one and a half seconds behind Brazil. That tiny difference may have given us more hope for Saturday than was realistic,\u201d Meulenbeld is honest about their chances. In the final, the difference between them and the Brazilians was ultimately 18 seconds. \u201cThey were so much faster than in the first two races \u2013 we\u2019ve never rowed that fast.\u201d<\/p>\n

World Championships and Paris<\/h2>

Half a week after the failed adventure, Meulenbeld is obviously still disappointed. After eighteen months of hard work, a ticket for Tokyo is now definitively ruled out. \u201cIt\u2019s a strange feeling, like a grieving process. But I\u2019m also raring to go again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because failure to get to the Games doesn\u2019t mean no more rowing. On the contrary. \u201cAll the experiences have been so good and I still have the ambition to go to Paris (which will be hosting the Games in 2024, ed.). Even if I\u2019ve graduated by then. And the World Championships in Shanghai start after the Games, which means we must get back to training. So we\u2019re still going more or less in the direction of Tokyo this year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t