ACLO Sports Centre Olympic Wall expanded with three top athletes

The Olympic Wall in the ACLO Sports Centre on the Zernike Campus in Groningen now features three additional top athletes who studied at the UG and were involved in the Paris Olympic Games last year. The pictures of Yara ten Holte (handball), Ruth Vorsselman (canoeing), and Ilse Kolkman (rowing) have been to the wall that already features several top athletes (both current and former) such as Epke Zonderland.

The Olympic Wall was introduced in 2012 at the Sports Centre of the University of Groningen and the Hanze University of Applied Sciences. Students and staff who combined their studies or work with participation in the Olympic Games will receive a place of honour on the Zernike Campus.

• Handball goalkeeper Yara ten Holte received her Bachelor's degree in Human Movement Sciences from the UG in 2020. She was part of the Dutch national team that was defeated by Denmark in the quarter-finals in Paris.

• Canoeist Ruth Vorsselman finished eighth in the final of the K2 500 metres in Paris. She completed her Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering at the UG in 2020.
• Rowing star Ilse Kolkman was a reserve in Paris and thus had to be on standby. Ilse studied Orthopedagogics at the UG and completed her Master's degree in 2021.

The images on the wall were unveiled by Jacquelien Scherpen, Rector Magnificus of the University of Groningen. Para-cyclist Caroline Groot received an addition to her already existing image. The UG law student won gold in the 500-metre time trial in Paris in 2024.

‘They all delivered fantastic performances,’ Jacquelien Scherpen proudly remarks about the top athletes. ‘Thanks to their perseverance, hard work, and blood, sweat and tears. The same goes for their studies. It is great that the combination of top-level sport and studying is possible at the UG.’

Interestingly, this time, the Olympic Wall has been expanded to include only women. Scherpen: ‘We have these four women, and let's not forget Marloes Oldenburg and Ymkje Clevering either. They won gold in Paris last year and also previously studied at the UG. Surely, this should encourage men studying at the UG to also qualify for the Olympics in the future so that the wall becomes more balanced again,’ she concludes with a wink.