Women
NED
Lara van Ruijven
NED- Date of birth27 Dec 1992
- Height1680 CM
- ProfessionAthlete, Student
- HometownHeerenveen
- Place of birthNaaldwijk
- Start skating Club She first tried short track at age six in The Hague, Netherlands. Hardrij Vereniging Den Haag Westland [HVHW]: Netherlands
- HobbiesShopping, surfing, snowboarding. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
- Other nameLaar (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
- CoachN/A
- ChoreographerN/A
- Former CoachN/A
- Practice low seasonN/A
- Practice high seasonN/A
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
"Everything will fall into place. You have just got to be patient and enjoy and trust the process." (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
She became the first female short track skater representing the Netherlands to win a world title in the 500m when she claimed gold at the 2019 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 Mar 2019; isu.org, 09 Mar 2019)
Coach Jeroen Otter. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
In September 2017 she suffered a dislocated shoulder. (schaatsen.nl, 11 Sep 2017)
She had knee problems during 2014 that forced her to alter her training schedule. (schaatsen.nl, 12 Nov 2014)
She had knee problems during 2014 that forced her to alter her training schedule. (schaatsen.nl, 12 Nov 2014)
Winning bronze in the 3000m relay at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang. (Athlete, 16 Nov 2018)
PASSED AWAY
In July 2020 she passed away in Perpignan, France, at age 27. She had previously been in intensive care for around 10 days due to complications relating to an autoimmune disorder which led to internal bleeding on the brain. "Her loss will be felt through the whole sporting world," said Netherlands national coach Jeroen Otter. "The International Skating Union [ISU] is very saddened by the news of Lara's passing. She had a bright future ahead of her and the entire skating community is in shock and mourning this terrible loss," said ISU President Jan Dijkema. (schaatsen.nl, 10 Jul 2020)
UNEXPECTED OLYMPIC MEDAL
She was a member of the Dutch women's 3000m relay team that won a bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang despite not qualifying for the A final. Two out of four teams in the A final were disqualified, meaning the Dutch team - who won the B final in world record time - were awarded the bronze medal. (deadspin.com, 21 Feb 2018; bbc.com, 20 Feb 2018)
In July 2020 she passed away in Perpignan, France, at age 27. She had previously been in intensive care for around 10 days due to complications relating to an autoimmune disorder which led to internal bleeding on the brain. "Her loss will be felt through the whole sporting world," said Netherlands national coach Jeroen Otter. "The International Skating Union [ISU] is very saddened by the news of Lara's passing. She had a bright future ahead of her and the entire skating community is in shock and mourning this terrible loss," said ISU President Jan Dijkema. (schaatsen.nl, 10 Jul 2020)
UNEXPECTED OLYMPIC MEDAL
She was a member of the Dutch women's 3000m relay team that won a bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang despite not qualifying for the A final. Two out of four teams in the A final were disqualified, meaning the Dutch team - who won the B final in world record time - were awarded the bronze medal. (deadspin.com, 21 Feb 2018; bbc.com, 20 Feb 2018)
She had already tried speed skating and was encouraged to try short track by her friend Adwin Snellink.