From 26 July to 11 August are the 2024 Olympics!
On 26 July, the Olympic flame will be lit in Paris and for a fortnight we will be able to enjoy many great sports performances by Team NL. Among the Olympic participants are nine elite athletes who study or have studied at TU Delft.
TU Delft is enormously proud of the rowers, Roos de Jong, Laila Youssifou, Tessa Dullemans, Willemijn Mulder and Ralf Rienks, who will soon compete on the Olympic rowing course against rowers from all over the world. Swimmer Sean Niewold has swum the Olympic time-limit and is going for a great performance. Justen Blok hopes to be an important value for the Dutch hockey team, Jan Driessen hopes to be part of the Dutch 3x3 basketball selection and Annette Duetz, together with her sailing partner, will hunt for a medal in the 49er FX class for the third time. From Delft, we wish all nine athletes the best of luck and, above all, a lot of fun with this unique experience!
Curious about the personal stories of these top athletes? Every week, Delta publishes an interview with one of the athletes.
Would you like to stay informed in the coming period? Keep an eye on this page and follow the Elite Sports Instagram account.
Willemijn Mulder
‘I dream of the world’s top competition, the Olympic Games. As that goal gets closer and closer, it becomes an extra motivation to give even more of yourself.’
Justen Blok
“I am trying to have as few expectations as possible. They say that the Olympics are even bigger than you can imagine.”
Laila Youssifou
“After Paris I plan to graduate. My study will then take precedence over my sports”
Tessa Dullemans
“I used to watch the Olympic Games on television with my father, but I never thought that I would ever compete there.”
Jan Driessen
“One match lasts 15 to 20 minutes and anything can happen.”
Roos de Jong
“I have complete faith in our team going for gold, but there is strong competition and we are all equally strong.”
Ralf Rienks
“A medal is definitely a possibility. Last year we won silver at the European championship and were very close to getting the gold.”
Annette Duetz
"Progress is made today."
Sean Niewold
“It’s very simple: I wanted to go to the Olympics. So you do everything you can to do your best in each training session and every race.”
Elite sports and academic studies often both require complete commitment, which can make it difficult to combine a standard educational programme with an elite-level sports training programme. TU Delft supports foreign students who play their sports at an international level in their home country. We support these students in combining their studies with elite sports activities and invest in the development of talent in and outside the lecture halls. However, TU Delft is not an elite sports university; we have no scholarships for elite athletes and no elite sports teams.
This academic year, 90 students have a TU Delft elite athlete status. These top talents include Dutch, European and World Champions and Olympic athletes. Our elite athletes together represent a wide range of sports. Delft is known for its professional rowers, and hockey, judo, football and sailing are some of the other sports also practised at an elite level.
Start your studies
Elite athletes who are going to study at TU Delft can apply for a TU Delft elite athlete status. As an elite athlete, you can qualify for this if you have an NOC*NSF status or a The Hague Top Sport registration. We also ask that you complete two steps:
- Download and complete the elite sports form and submit it to our elite sports coordinator Olga Peters via elitesports-x@tudelft.nl. The elite sports coordinator will use this form to determine whether you fall within the TU Delft elite sports scheme. You will be informed of this by email.
- If you are eligible for the TU Delft elite athlete status, make sure that you request an intake interview with elite sports coordinator Olga Peters well before the start of the academic year (preferably before 1 May), so that she has enough time to check with you whether the chosen study can be properly combined with the elite sports programme.
Once granted, the TU Delft elite athlete status is valid for the entire academic year, regardless of any unexpected events such as injuries or the loss of your NOC*NSF status. The elite sports scheme ends when you stop playing elite-level sport and/or stop studying at TU Delft.
Guidance during your studies
During your studies, there are two established contacts to whom you can turn for advice and guidance: the study advisor(s) of your faculty and our elite sports coordinator Olga Peters. Both work closely together.
At the beginning of each academic year, they will support you in drawing up an individual study plan so that ambitions and expectations are determined or adjusted at an early stage. You can also call on them during your studies. It's up to you to indicate what you need. The study advisor is the first point of contact when it comes to study-related questions. You can contact our elite sports coordinator Olga Peters if you need help or advice for prioritising and planning your studies in combination with elite sports. She will be happy to work with you to figure out how you can continue to coordinate both worlds, especially if you have training camps and/or competitions coming up. She can also give you tips on following relevant workshops organised by the TU Delft Career Centre.
Facilities during your studies
Athletes with a TU Delft elite athlete status can get a free X subscription, which grants access to all of X's sports facilities, including the use of fitness areas.
In addition, it can be checked at an individual level whether you, as an elite athlete, are eligible for financial support in the form of the Profiling Fund Scheme and sponsorship. Information about this is provided by Olga Peters.
Are you an elite athlete looking for housing in Delft? The DUWO Foundation has four houses for elite athletes and you will be informed if a room becomes available.
Balancing your studies with elite sports
Athletes with a TU Delft elite athlete status are allowed more time to complete their studies than the standard years allotted for a bachelor's and/or master's programme. In most cases, we even recommend that elite athletes take fewer courses to maintain a good balance between their studies and their sport. Elite sports is therefore a valid reason to request a postponement of the BSA if necessary.
Of course it is also important for elite athletes to attend as many lectures as possible. For mandatory lectures and practicals, you will seek a solution in consultation with your lecturer when you cannot attend. You might receive a replacement assignment, because the final learning objectives remain the same. Seminars are not mandatory and some can be viewed digitally.
Requests for sitting exams remotely or at another time must go through the Board of Examiners of the relevant faculty.
Contact
If you have any questions or would like more information about the elite athlete scheme, please contact Olga Peters at elitesports-x@tudelft.nl.
