Two gold medals and one bronze medal for UG alumnae at the Winter Olympics

During the recent Winter Olympics in Milan, two alumnae of the University of Groningen (UG) delivered exceptional performances. Xandra Velzeboer was crowned queen of short track speed skating, winning gold in both the 500 and 1000 meters. Tineke den Dulk surprised everyone by winning bronze in the mixed relay, competing for Belgium.

Xandra Velzeboer studied Life Science and Technology at the University of Groningen from 2019 to 2023. During her studies in Groningen, she was already an emerging talent: in 2022, she won Olympic gold with the women's relay team, and in 2022 and 2023, she won a total of four world titles. These achievements underscored her exceptional abilities.

Tineke den Dulk completed her studies in English Language and Culture at the University of Groningen between 2016 and 2021. During her studies, she combined her academic career with short track speed skating for TeamNL. Because she failed to make a real breakthrough in the Dutch national team, she decided after her bachelor's degree to compete for Belgium. A decision that paid off: in Milan, she won the bronze medal.

Both athletes made use of the University of Groningen's elite sports programme during their studies. This programme offers elite athletes the opportunity to coordinate their studies and elite sports as effectively as possible, enabling them to pursue a dual career. More information about the programme can be found at www.rug.nl/topsport.