VDH image as logo for European Championships 2008

Pieter van den Hoogenband's image is used for the logo of the European Championships 2008, which will be held in VDH's home base in Eindhoven.

Column by Pieter van den Hoogenband

Pieter van den Hoogenband writes columns for Dutch newspaper AD on an irregular basis. This is his latest column.

The swimming season only just finished and I’m struck with the flue. It seems as if my body knew the gala in Hamburg (Deutscher Ring Aquatics) was my last competition of the season.

When Rafael van der Vaart (football player) transferred from Ajax to Hamburger SV a year ago, I really didn’t understand that. “If you’re that young and talented, you don’t leave Ajax for a football club in such a dull city”, was my initial reaction. But now I understand his decision. Hamburg is much more fun and wealthier than I thought and is very sport minded. I went to Hamburg in 1993 for the first time. I was invited by the Olympic base in Hamburg for some tests.

As what used to be quite common in the former DDR, they analyzed my swimming capabilities. They gave me a 10 (out of 10). Before that, they had only given Franziska van Almsick the same result. Naturally, I was thrilled with the outcome. The pool where I was tested was situated in a rundown part of town. The outside of the pool was covered in grafitti. It all seemed quite depressing to me. But to be honest with you, I hadn’t made any effort to explore Hamburg at the time. I was there for the tests, so I didn’t see anything besides the pool and my hotel.

This time I had a much better time in Hamburg. It appears to be one of the wealthiest German cities and it shows. They built a beautiful 6-lane pool, especially for this event, in a tennis stadium. In the dressing room I even thought to myself: “Am I going to play tennis or swim?” The organization did everything possible to make this event a success. All 5000-6000 spectators on Saturday and Sunday got their money’s worth.

Because I’m the only reigning Olympic Champion in Europe, the organizing committee paid me a visit last year. They wanted to persuade me to join the event. They also asked me advice about the most suitable date for the event and how they could make the program as appealing as possible.

I advised them to host the event the weekend following the European Championships and pointed out that the shorter distances would be most appealing. The organization prioritized the sport. With Roland Schoeman breaking a world record, this was surely a great success.

There was also a waterpolo demonstration with the boxing Klitsjko brothers and a swimm off with German celebrities as tennis player Michael Stich. It was a remarkable ending of the season. I’m glad the flue struck me only on the Monday after the event.

VDH wins at Deutscher Ring Aquatics 2006

Day two of the Deutscher Ring Aquatics in Hamburg, Germany, saw three victories of Dutch swimmers.

First of all, Pieter van den Hoogenband won, as expected, the 200m freestyle event. Training partner Markus Rogan set the pace for VDH, who finished it off in 1:43:52.

Marleen Veldhuis beat Britta Steffen at the 50m in 0:24:09 and Inge Dekker (brand new European Champion at 100m butterfly) won her race in 0:57:80 at her preferred event.

Jacco Verhaeren (see photo), who is VDH's coach (and since this year technical director of the national swimming association, supervising the top swimming centres in Eindhoven and Amsterdam), believes that the initiative to create a new international swimming competition is a positive outlook for the sport.

"This is good promotion for swimming. The show elements they put in made it very entertaining for the audience. We really need this to promote the sport and attract more sponsors. I really think this competition has a future. Eventhough it wasn't easy for the swimmers to recharge so soon after the European Championships, they still wanted to perform well here. The prize money was also a very good incentive." (Each winner received $1,500).

Deutscher Ring Aquatics 2006 - results

Despite announcements from Dutch and German television, nothing was broadcasted last night, except for a short clip of Britta Steffen on ZDF (German TV).

Pieter van den Hoogenband didn't break any records or won any race. This was expected, considering his struggle to get back in shape on the 100m and 50m and the fact that his turning points are still not his strong suit.

Roland Schoeman is more of a short track specialist and he proved his great form on Saturday. He's the first swimmer this weekend to break a world record (short track record, which is always faster than long track thanks to more turning points and under water techniques). He is the first man to break the 21 second barrier on the 50m freestyle: 0:20:98!

And this was only in the semifinals... In the finals he won the race in 0:21:28, Mark Foster came in second and Johan Kenkhuis (former relay team mate of VDH) finished third in 0:21:89. Pieter van den Hoogenband finished in 0:22:27.

So far the 21 seconds barrier had only been broken in split times at relay races, which Johan Kenkhuis and Pieter van den Hoogenband both managed to do in the past.

Schoeman was also superior at the 100m event: 0:46:70 (world best time for this year, no world record). Pieter van den Hoogenband finished in third place in 0:48:50.

Deutscher Ring Aquatics 2006 with VDH live on German and Dutch television

This weekend VDH will compete with other top swimmers in a 25m pool in Hamburg to try and break world records.

Any swimmer who succeeds, will receive a 15.000 euro bonus and a brand new Chevrolet Captiva.

The organization of Deutscher Ring Aquatics 2006 built a temporary swimming pool in a tennis stadium (see photo) in less than 48 hours. Expenses: 200.000 euro.

Will Pieter van den Hoogenband break any records this weekend? His coach Jacco Verhaeren doubts it. VDH's starts and turning points are not perfect yet and he never was a typical short track swimmer. It will be particularly interesting to watch VDH taking on Roland Schoeman once again!

You can watch it on German television: on Saturday in the sports programme "Das aktuelle Sportstudio" on ZDF (22:30-23:45) and on Sunday ZDF Sportreportage
(17:10-18:00). The Dutch NOS Studiosport will also feature the races among the other sports (Saturday 22:05-23:05 and possibly Sunday 20:30-21:35).

START LIST (MEN)

PIETER VAN DEN HOOGENBAND (NED)
Johan Kenkhuis (NED)
Nick Driebergen (NED)
Lennart Stekelenburg (NED)
Roland Schoeman (RSA)
Ryk Neethling (RSA)
Lyndon Ferns (RSA)
Michael Klim (AUS)
Markus Rogan (AUT)
Thomas Rupprath (GER)
Helge Meeuw (GER)
Paul Biedermann (GER)
Johannes Neumann (GER)
Steffen Deibler (GER)
Johannes Dietrich (GER)
Steffen Driesen (GER)
Steve Theloke (GER)
Jens Thiele (GER)
Sergiy Breus (UKR)
Oleg Lisogor (UKR)
Andrey Serdinov (UKR)
Mark Foster (GBR)
Darren Mew (GBR)
Matthew Clay (GBR)
Laszlo Cseh (HUN)
Tamas Kerekjarto (HUN)
Alexander Dale Oen (NOR)
Peter Mankoc (SLO)
Lars Froelander (SWE)
Vladislav Polyakov (KAZ)
Yevgeniy Ryzhkov (KAZ)
Roman Sludnov (RUS)
Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS)

Grant Hackett not writing VDH's arch rival Ian Thorpe off

Grant Hackett believes that if Ian Thorpe was any other swimmer he would have no chance of winning Olympic gold in Beijing. The Australia captain today threw his support behind the under-siege five-time Olympic gold medallist, saying Thorpe's freestyle dominance meant he could still come back and win international races.

Thorpe has copped a recent barrage of criticism with claims he had gained weight and was not training after relocating to Los Angeles. But Hackett said Thorpe still had time on his side and could prove all his critics wrong by coming back to win international gold.



"If Ian says he can swim fast then Ian can swim fast. Has Ian ever really let us down in the past? Never. His track record proves that when Ian says he is going to swim fast he has always got up and performed and that's over a long period, over a decade. From talking to Ian directly he wants to be part of it. If the guy says he is going to the (2007 Melbourne) world championships and going to the trials to compete fast then I have no doubt he will. It shows the attitude of a champion if he is able to get back up after this."

Hackett further commented: "The break would have done Ian well but it is starting to stretch too long now. He has still got plenty of time to Beijing as long as he doesn't have any more illness or broken hands. His times are so far ahead in those events he competes in that he probably hasn't given away too much time. If he was neck and neck in terms of the last time he raced them then I would start to be a bit concerned. He has such a gap when at his best that potentially he does still have time to get up and perform really well. It is just a matter of it all going smoothly."

Hackett (shoulder reconstruction) and Thorpe will both return to long course racing at Australia's world championship trials in Brisbane starting December 3.

7 Million tickets on sale for Beijing Olympics

Just in case you're considering supporting Van den Hoogenband live at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing...

The organizing committee of the Olympics has announced today that as from mid 2007 there will be 7 million tickets on sale at very low prices.

"We intend to keep the prices low to give the Chinese people an opportunity to attend the Games," says chairman of the committee, Liu Qi. "Only the tickets for the opening and closing ceremony will be more expensive."

VDH laughs at Magnini's golden crown

BUDAPEST – At the mixed zone Pieter van den Hoogenband glanced at his competitor at the 100m freestyle, Filippo Magnini. The Italian show off wore the Italian flag around his shoulders and a fake golden crown on his head. With his – also – golden swimming cap (and tattooed crown on his arm) he had just beaten VDH in the 100m finals in 48:79 seconds, thus prolonging his title of 2004. Filippo Magnini earned the nick name “Superpipo”, which actually in Dutch translates as “Super clown". Van den Hoogenband, who finished in third place with 48:94 seconds smiled:
“I only wear a crown like that at the carnival!”

VDH said he would use this image of Magnini to motivate himself to work harder than ever on his 100m. After his hernia operation last year he hasn’t been back to his old form at this event, unlike the 200m, which he won with conviction in Budapest.

"At that event I’m back at the world top. The 100m is, however, a combination of technique and explosive power. I need more time for that. At the Olympics of Atlanta in 1996 I finished in 49:13 seconds (4th place). It took me three years to improve that time. After that, the ball got rolling and I managed to go much faster. But it proves that the 100m is a much harder event than the 200m."

VDH considers his gold medal at the 200m and the bronze medal at the 100m as two worthy prizes at his first international competition after the Olympics in Athens and as a few major steps forward after his operation.

"I’m back on the stage again. The gold is fantastic, the bronze is my motivation to do better. At the 100m I am the two-fold Olympic Champion and world record holder. My goal is to re-claim my ‘throne’ as soon as possible."

If he will reach that goal in the next two years, VDH is still not sure.

"Magnini will not rest on his laurels. The competition will keep developing themselves. We’ll have to wait and see."

The two races in Budapest did offer Van den Hoogenband and his coach Jacco Verhaeren a great opportunity to analyse where they stand.

"We analyzed both races extensively. In certain aspects of the race I’m still doing strange things. The first three or four hits in the water when I emerge were not fierce enough, for instance. I was looking for the right pace more than anything. You can’t do that at the 100m. I also need to work on my turning points to launch myself after each lap. I was merely tapping and turning. Fortunately, my start, technique, breathing, frequency and length were OK."

But what’s more, Van den Hoogenband got through his races without any pain.

"When you’re healthy, you don’t realize that. Now I’m just happy to be able to put on my socks without feeling any pain. I walked around with a huge smile on my face. When I had my back problems, I had to take anti-inflammatories just to be able to assume the starting position. I only felt good in the water, because that wouldn’t hurt my back. Now I’m completely fit and that just feels so damn’ good!"

4x200m relay team might miss out on Olympics in Beijing

Not qualifying for the finals at the European Championships in Budapest may prove to be quite a disaster after all.

The 4x200m limit for the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne is 7:17:55. Based on the results at the WC the starting list of the Beijing Olympics will be determined. Only a limited number of national teams will be allowed to start at the Olympics.

The Dutch 4x200m relay team didn’t reach the finals without Van den Hoogenband at the European Championships and only finished in 7:24:66. This is not enough to qualify for the World Championships.

The Olympic starting list will be made up as follows: the 10 best countries at the World Championships prior to the Olympics (Melbourne 2007), plus the 6 fastest teams ‘on paper’.

All is not lost yet, but the Dutch know now what they need to do!

VDH's new training facilities

(video and slide shows at end of article)

Michael Klim raised an eyebrow or two when he was invited to the old Tongelreep pool in Eindhoven for the Dutch Open last year. The audience was seated on improvised bleeches right on the edge of the pool and the building seemed quite old. This was where his friend Pieter van den Hoogenband and Jacco Verhaeren laid the foundation of VDH's successes? Coming from Australia, where top swimmers have access to the best facilities, he was quite stunned. Although he had heard stories of other champions before who started out in run down pools or not even having access to a 50m pool, but had to train in a 25m one instead.

VDH didn't really care about what his beloved pool looked like. If he needed a change of scenery and some high-tech facilities, his coach Jacco Verhaeren would set up a training camp for the team. The only downside to it was the recreational function of the Tongelreep. After all, they had to make a buck or two to keep the place going. Not being able to work on the hours they needed, or extend a training session to try out some things, was becoming a problem. They could also do with the underwater cameras and other gadgets VDH's competition abroad had access to.

But help was on its way! The Tongelreep would be largely extended. The new facilities would also house a separate traning pool for the professional team of Van den Hoogenband (NZE).

And here they are... VDH's new training facilities! He and his team have been training there in the past months and the benefits are obvious. Eventhough the entire complex will not be fully completed until September 8th and the official opening is scheduled for early 2007, the training pool is up and running.

The new swim stadium will be one of the most advanced, if not the most advanced, facilities of Europe. They will be capable of hosting large events, such as the European Championships in 2008, with a 10-lane 50m pool, an 8-lane 25m diving pool and 3.000 seats for spectators. VDH's training pool is a 4-lane 25m pool which is equipped with a Vision training system, operating 13 cameras for extensive analyses. This is unique in Europe. The complex also houses several recreational facilities and outdoor pools.

Here's a promotional video which shows clips of VDH and the new swim stadium. Be patient... the first half of the video has some shots of VDH (but focusses on sports facilities in Eindhoven) and as from approx. the second half of the video you will get a nice impression of the complex.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO


Here are some actual photos of Pieter's training pool, arranged in two slide shows.

CLICK HERE FOR SLIDE SHOW 1 - Photos of VDH's training pool.


CLICK HERE FOR SLIDE SHOW 2 - Photos of the small gym, adjacent to the pool. This is where Pieter pumps iron!

VDH will compete with international top at prestigious Deutscher Ring Aquatics 2006

On 12 and 13 August the international swimming top will compete each other in an attempt to break world records at their preferred events. The Netherlands will be represented by Pieter van den Hoogenband, Marleen Veldhuis and Inge Dekker. VDH’s and Inge Dekker’s coach Jacco Verhaeren will join them in Hamburg. The races will be held in a 25m pool. Per race only 4 swimmers will compete each other.

After the 50m semifinals at the European Championships this weekend, Van den Hoogenband commented that he already knew before the race that he wouldn’t stand a chance to reach the finals. However, he didn’t want to pull out of the semis.

“That would have been the easy way out, and I didn’t want to do that. I considered it to be an important test. It was a dreadful race, but I learned a lot from it. I know now I have my work cut out for me.”

In order to test himself even more, VDH will enter the lucrative competition in Hamburg to face the international top. The races in the 25-m pool will give him a chance to work on his turning points.

“If I can perform well at the 50m event, I will do better at the 100m. I’ve been a European champion at the 50m before and I won a bronze medal at this event at the Olympics in Sydney. I know I can do it, but it takes time for me to get that feeling back.”

Van den Hoogenband had counted on reaching the finals for the 4x200m relay (VDH didn’t join his team in the heats). But Olaf Wildeboer, Bas van Velthoven, Stefan Oosting and Mitja Zastrow only finished in 10th place in the heats.

“That was a downer”, says Van den Hoogenband. “My team and I worked so hard for this. We wanted to get really far. I even considered to join them in the heats, but I assumed they would be good enough to get through. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.”


HERE’S A LINK TO THE WEBSITE OF DEUTSCHER RING AQUATICS 2006

VDH doubts successful comeback Ian Thorpe

Pieter van den Hoogenband told reporters on Saturday that he doubts Ian Thorpe will be a serious threat to him at the Olympics of Beijing in 2008.

“Ian is having a hard time dealing with his stardom. He fled to Los Angeles to be able to train without any distractions. It’s still very difficult for him. I know I will be ready in Beijing to face Michael Phelps. It will be a memorable race, for sure.”

A front page story in the Sydney Morning Herald headlined "The good life catches up with Thorpedo". The story began: "He munches on pizza and hamburgers and slurps cola. He hasn't been training. And Ian Thorpe, the five-time Olympic champion is getting fat." It ran beside a photo showing Thorpe in a singlet carrying a cola drink (see the 'before-and-after" shots above).

Thorpe had relocated to Los Angeles temporarily to find motivation and would have probably quit the sport if he hadn't. Team Thorpe, including his Grand Slam International management and Sydney-based coach Tracey Menzies, declined to discuss the issue, insisting the star swimmer was "really happy over there" and they were not "concerned about the story at all".

Thorpe, despite being 195cm tall, has never had a chiselled physique. His ideal racing weight has varied around the 100kg mark, but now that he had focussed on sprint events and increased his gym workload it is to be expected that a 23-year-old man would gain some kilos.

Former swimming champion Kieren Perkins said Thorpe had plenty of time to get fit, it was whether he would get back to his best that remained the worrying question. "I don't think we need to worry about whether or not Ian can get fit," Perkins told the ABC. "We need to worry about whether or not when it comes down to that last 50-metre sprint against his competition, whether or not he's got enough underlying base there to allow his body to get him to the line."

Thorpe's progress has been stalled this year by a bout of glandular fever that ruled him out of the Commonwealth Games before a broken hand further delayed his training.

PHOTOS: VDH's gold 200m race at European Championships

Some stunning action pictures for you!

VIDEO: 200m gold race at European Championships 2006

A special treat for those who want to relive that special moment...

Here's a video which shows Pieter's gold 200m race at the European Championships in Budapest.

The video contains:

- VDH's race from start to finish (notice the red line which indicates the world record). VDH is swimming 3/4 of the race below the world record schedule! He only loses it in the final lap.

- Interview with Dutch television immediately after the race.

- Medal ceremony.

The video lasts approx. 3 minutes.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

We've added two more buttons to the side bar: PHOTO ALBUM and VIDEOS. You will find new additions here regularly.

VDH misses 50m finals

Pieter van den Hoogenband didn't qualify for the 50m finals.

VDH finished in 14th place with 0:22:69. Johan Kenkhuis also misses the finals, as he finished in 10th place with 0:22:50 (Kenkhuis left in photo).

This was VDH's last race at the European Championships of 2006 in Budapest.

New website layout

We got tired of the old dull black layout of this website.

With Pieter van den Hoogenband's more than successful comeback we couldn't stay behind.

Some features will disappear from this website, others will be retained or added.

Stay tuned!

VDH comments on morning finals in Beijing

When asked about NBC’s request to the IOC to move the swimming finals to the morning at the Olympic Games in Beijing, Van den Hoogenband said:

“Do you see the big athletes of the 100 metre sprint, the Powells and Gatlins, running their final in the morning? Come on. Be serious. For one time, one tournament, they alternate the programme, because of American goals. Without knowing the opinion of the men to swim: we, us. This is worthless. For me especially. I am not a morning person. To be at my best at ten o’clock, shortly after breakfast, is impossible .”

He described the pure sport of swimming as “number one“, with the protagonists “even more important” than that. The IOC should consider those things above all else when they make their decision on NBC’s request - one that has brought widespread condemnantion - next month.

“We need rest to do our job in the best way we can. The finals in the evening: we lived with it, always. We got used at it. From boyhood till maturity. And now it has to change. For one time. They simply throw away the history of the sport. It is shameful and ridiculous. This is our biggest day in our career. For every sportman. And then they change the rules of the sport because of commercial reasons? I don’t get it.”

VDH will race at 50m event

Pieter van den Hoogenband will race at the 50m freestyle event at the European Championships.

It's his first 50m race since the Olympics in Athens two years ago.

His qualifying time is 22:70. VDH will compete in the 7th heat on Saturday morning.

At this point it's not certain yet if VDH will already start in the 4x200 relay heats, also on Saturday morning.

[UPDATE 1]
VDH qualified for the semifinals in 14th place with 22:75. Fellow Dutchman Johan Kenkhuis qualified in 7th place with 22:60. Kenkhuis was part of the very successful relay team at the Olympics in Sydney (4x200 and 4x100) and Athens (4x100) where VDH, Kenkhuis and their team picked up the bronze and silver medal respectively. They've had great successes at various European Championships together, including short track. Kenkhuis is now only focussing on the 50m event and has dropped the 100m entirely.

[UPDATE 2]
As expected, VDH didn't join the 4x200 relay team in the heats. The team didn't qualify for the finals. They finished in 7:24:66.

VDH WINS BRONZE AT EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006 IN BUDAPEST

Pieter van den Hoogenband won his second medal at the European Championships today, at the 100m freestyle event. Bronze this time!

Beforehand VDH claimed to be satisfied with any medal, since he still misses his great form on the 100m event, due to his hernia operation last year. His training was mainly focussed on stamina, which eased him into his glorious comeback at the 200m event.

Nevertheless he swam a great race and finished in third place. His time: 48:94. VDH was very pleased with his time, as he had hoped for a time under 49 sec.

When seeing Magnini wearing a fake golden crown in the mixed zone, VDH told Dutch reporters that this little incident motivated him even more to beat Magnini in Beijing.

VDH qualifies for finals 100m European Championships

Pieter van den Hoogenband qualified for the finals of the 100m freestyle event in 5th place.

VDH finished the race in 2nd place in his heat with 49:27.

His main competitor Filippo Magnini is top seed with 48:91. VDH's other competitor for the title, Simon Burnett, didn't reach the finals with a disappointing time of 49:56.

VDH is aiming for a 48:50 time in the finals.

PHOTOS: European Championships Budapest 2006

Pieter van den Hoogenband shows his gold medal (200M freestyle). His fourth European title at this event (1999, 2002, 2004, 2006) and his third consecutive title.

























Pieter van den Hoogenband ready to take over from Stefan Oosting at the 4x100m relay.















The 4x100m relay team looks at the board in disbelief after the race: disqualified! Stefan Oosting left the blocks too fast... If they hadn't been disqualified, they would have finished in 5th place.

VDH and other top swimmers to petition over Beijing plan

Some of the world's leading swimmers are set to approach the International Olympic Committee to protest a proposal that would see the finals at the Beijing Games switched to the morning for US television.

American broadcaster NBC, which paid $3.55 billion for the exclusive US media rights to the 2000-2008 Games, has requested the switch to the morning in Beijing to coincide with prime-time viewing in the US

Swimming is predicted to be a major ratings winner in the US with Michael Phelps, who won eight medals at the 2004 Games, featuring prominantly.

"I don't think we should be pandering to the American dollar," Michael Klim, a six-times Olympic medallist, told the Australian newspaper on Thursday.

Swimmers taking part in the ongoing European Championships in Budapest were looking to organise a petition to express their concerns to the IOC, the Australian swimmer added.

Klim said he and training partner Dutch Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband had discussed during training sessions in Cyprus what could be done to prevent the switch.

"We had extensive talks there," Klim said. "And the programme in Beijing is something we want to address. "We can still prepare to swim fast but it's about where the priorities lie. This is not in our best interests and sends a message that they don't care about the athletes and the sport," he added.

MIDNIGHT GOLD

Swimming Australia said they opposed the proposal, which the IOC is set to rule on by September.

"(The petition) is probably a good thing because they will listen to them," Swimming Australia's Ian Hanson told Reuters on Thursday. "Our guys would race for gold at midnight but they are just not used to it. "It would require practice for the body clock and with races at 9.30 in the morning it would be a whole new ball game."

The sport's governing body Fina have approved evening finals for the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, while the finals of the Australian short course championships would be switched to the morning if the IOC ratified the proposal, Hanson said.

But Hanson predicted a commercial "disaster" in Australia and throughout Asia if the finals were staged in the morning. "If they were on at 9.30 in the morning we'd have one man and his dog watching. I know America are the big player and we are relatively small fish but it really would not be good for us."

VDH qualifies for semi-finals 100m freestyle

Pieter van den Hoogenband qualified as third best in this morning's heats for the 100m freestyle event at the European Championships in Budapest.

VDH finished his race in 49:27. Second best qualifier is Alain Bernard (France) with 49:26, top seed is Simon Burnett (Great Britain) with 49:24. Filippo Magnini, who was thought to be VDH's toughest competitor for this event, finished in 6th place with 49:46.

The semi-finals will be held in today's evening session.

VDH WINS GOLD AT EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2006 IN BUDAPEST

“The BOSS is back!”








Pieter van den Hoogenband won his 3rd consecutive European title at the 200m freestyle event. He is the first swimmer in history to win three consecutive European titles for the same event (2002, 2004, 2006).

VDH came very close to breaking the world record for a while, but finished in 1:45:65.

“This is very special”, commented Van den Hoogenband after his winning race, “I’ve been through hell this past year. It is such a fantastic feeling to be back in the game again. I had to start from scratch after my hernia operation. This proves I’m capable of fighting my way back.”