Lara van Ruijven
Van Ruijven at the 2014 Winter Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Lara Victoria van Ruijven | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Dutch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | (1992-12-28)28 December 1992 Naaldwijk, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 10 July 2020(2020-07-10) (aged 27) Perpignan, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Country | ![]() | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sport | Short track speed skating | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Event | 500 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Club | HVHW | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Cup wins | 10[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Highest world ranking | 24 (500m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Personal best(s) | 500 m: 42.453 (2019) 1000 m: 1:28.006 (2018) 1500 m: 2:23.588 (2018) 3000 m: 5:14.025 (2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Lara Victoria van Ruijven (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlaːraː vɑn ˈrœyvən]; 28 December 1992 – 10 July 2020) was a Dutch short track speed skater. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, she was part of the Dutch 3000 metres relay team that won a bronze medal. She won gold at the World Championships one year later. By doing so, she became the first Dutch woman to win a world short track title at an individual event.
Early life
Lara Victoria van Ruijven was born in Naaldwijk (near The Hague) on December 28 1992. She began racing short track when she was six, and her childhood idol was Evgenia Radanova. She studied law at the Open University of the Netherlands and resided in Heerenveen. In addition to her native Dutch, she also spoke English and French.[1][2]
Career
Van Ruijven first competed as a member of the Dutch Olympic team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. In the 500 metres she was third in her heat, failing to advance, and placing 17th overall. As a member of the Dutch 3000 metre relay team, she was disqualified in the heats, again not advancing.[3][4] Throughout that year, she had problems with her knee that compelled her to change her training routine. Three years later, in September 2017, she dislocated her shoulder.[1]
She breakthrough year came in 2018, when she earned her first Olympic medal at that year's Winter Games, as part of the Dutch team that finished third in the 3000 metre relay.[1][5] Several weeks later, she secured her first medal at the World Championships, when her team finished runner-up in the 3000 metre relay.[1]
At the 2019 World Championships, Van Ruijven won a gold medal in the 500 metres (1,600 ft) event and was in the lead for almost the entirety of the race.[5] However, the Dutch team were unable to improve on their result in the 3000 metre relay from the previous year and dropped to fourth place.[1] By securing gold, she became the first Dutch woman to win a world short track title at an individual event.[5] Van Ruijven finished fourth overall in terms of total points won at the championships.[1]
Illness and death
Van Ruijven was hospitalized on 25 June 2020, after falling ill during a stay at a training camp near Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via.[6][7] Four days later, she was transferred to an intensive care unit due to an autoimmune disease.[5] She was subsequently placed in a coma and underwent multiple surgeries,[5] but her condition did not improve.[8] She died on 10 July 2020 at a hospital in Perpignan, France; she was 27 years old.[9][10]
Achievements
World Cup victories
Source:[1]
Date | Season | Location | Rank | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
10 February 2013 | 2012–13 | Dresden | ![]() | 3000 m relay |
5 February 2017 | 2016–17 | Dresden | ![]() | 3000 m relay |
19 November 2017 | 2017–18 | Seoul | ![]() | 3000 m relay |
4 November 2018 | 2018–19 | Calgary | ![]() | 500m |
9 December 2018 | 2018–19 | Almaty | ![]() | 3000 m relay |
10 February 2019 | 2018–19 | Turin | ![]() | 3000 m relay |
7 December 2019 | 2019–20 | Shanghai | ![]() | 2000m relay |
9 February 2020 | 2019–20 | Dresden | ![]() | 3000 m relay |
15 February 2020 | 2019–20 | Dordrecht | ![]() | 500m |
16 February 2020 | 2019–20 | Dordrecht | ![]() | 3000 m relay |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "ISU Biography". International Skating Union. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Lara van Ruijven – Short Track – Netherlands". Sochi 2014 Olympics. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Lara van Ruijven". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
- ^ "Sochi2014.com profile". 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Lara van Ruijven, short track speed skating world champion, dies at 27". NBC Sports. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Shorttrackster Van Ruijven op intensive care met stoornis aan immuunsysteem". nos.nl. 29 June 2020.
- ^ "Toestand Van Ruijven verslechtert: 'Ze vecht voor haar leven'". Telegraaf. 1 July 2020.
- ^ "Speed Skating: World champion Van Ruijven critical condition after falling ill in France". Reuters. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Dutch short-track world champion Van Ruijven dies at age 27". Associated Press News. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
- ^ "Shorttrackster Lara van Ruijven (27) overleden". NOS. 10 July 2020.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Lara van Ruijven at the International Skating Union
- Lara van Ruijven in SpeedSkatingBase.eu (archived)
- Lara van Ruijven at SpeedSkatingNews.info
- Lara van Ruijven at ShortTrackOnLine.info
- Lara van Ruijven at Olympics.com
- Lara van Ruijven at Olympedia
- Lara van Ruijven at TeamNL (archive) (in Dutch)