Men
NED
Jorrit BERGSMA
NED- Date of birth01 Feb 1986
- Height1880 CM
- ProfessionAthlete
- Home townAldeboarn
- Place of birthAldeboarn
- Start skating / Club He first tried the sport on natural ice in Aldeboarn, Netherlands. He began skating indoors in 1993 in Thialf, Netherlands. / Team Jumbo-Visma: Netherlands
- HobbiesSailing. (schaatsen.nl, 17 Dec 2013)
- languagesDutch, English, Frisian
- famliyWife Heather Bergsma, son Brent [2018], daughter Barbara Jean [2020]
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
"Work hard, believe in yourself and enjoy." (Athlete, 08 Feb 2017)
In June 2023 he fractured his shoulder blade after falling while trying to avoid a scooter during a roller skating training session. He was able to use his indoor bike during his recovery, and started training on the ice again in August 2023. (schaatsen.nl, 07 Aug 2023, 28 Jun 2023)
He was forced to retire from a 100km inline skating race in August 2017 after suffering knee and elbow injuries in a fall. (telegraaf.nl, 19 Aug 2017)
In January 2013 he required four stitches in his eyebrow after colliding with another skater during training and hitting his head on the ice. (volkskrant.nl, 31 Jan 2013)
He was forced to retire from a 100km inline skating race in August 2017 after suffering knee and elbow injuries in a fall. (telegraaf.nl, 19 Aug 2017)
In January 2013 he required four stitches in his eyebrow after colliding with another skater during training and hitting his head on the ice. (volkskrant.nl, 31 Jan 2013)
NEW START
Ahead of the 2022/23 season, he parted ways with his coach of 13 years, Jillert Anema, and joined Team Jumbo-Visma under coach Jac Orie. Bergsma admits it took him some time to adapt to a new style of coaching, with Orie preferring methods driven by scientific data. "It soon became clear to me that Jumbo-Visma really wanted to incorporate me. Then you go by your gut feeling and choose the party you want. Jac sometimes shows me numbers of measurements and then explains what it means. All very interesting. But after a while it really starts to dizzy me. I have worked in one way for 13 years. I just knew if I do this and that in the summer, a good winter will come out. Now I have taken a completely different tack and first I have to wait and see how the new training regime is working out. It's exciting that I've lost my fixes, but it's also fun at the same time. I'm just really curious what this switch will bring me." (nos.nl, 13 Oct 2022)
FATHERHOOD
He skipped the first two World Cup events of the 2018/19 season, which were both held in Japan, after his son Brent was born in October 2018. His daughter Barbara Jean was born in September 2020. "When I'm home, I take over all the tasks. There is nothing better than doing that. You also start to put things into perspective and subconsciously skating becomes less important." (Instagram profile, 08 Sep 2020; schaatsen.nl, 31 Dec 2018; nos.nl, 07 Dec 2018; nu.nl, 29 Oct 2018; omropfryslan.nl, 26 Oct 2018)
Ahead of the 2022/23 season, he parted ways with his coach of 13 years, Jillert Anema, and joined Team Jumbo-Visma under coach Jac Orie. Bergsma admits it took him some time to adapt to a new style of coaching, with Orie preferring methods driven by scientific data. "It soon became clear to me that Jumbo-Visma really wanted to incorporate me. Then you go by your gut feeling and choose the party you want. Jac sometimes shows me numbers of measurements and then explains what it means. All very interesting. But after a while it really starts to dizzy me. I have worked in one way for 13 years. I just knew if I do this and that in the summer, a good winter will come out. Now I have taken a completely different tack and first I have to wait and see how the new training regime is working out. It's exciting that I've lost my fixes, but it's also fun at the same time. I'm just really curious what this switch will bring me." (nos.nl, 13 Oct 2022)
FATHERHOOD
He skipped the first two World Cup events of the 2018/19 season, which were both held in Japan, after his son Brent was born in October 2018. His daughter Barbara Jean was born in September 2020. "When I'm home, I take over all the tasks. There is nothing better than doing that. You also start to put things into perspective and subconsciously skating becomes less important." (Instagram profile, 08 Sep 2020; schaatsen.nl, 31 Dec 2018; nos.nl, 07 Dec 2018; nu.nl, 29 Oct 2018; omropfryslan.nl, 26 Oct 2018)
He has competed in marathon skating and was Dutch national champion in 2010 and 2012. (spitsnieuws.nl, 08 Feb 2012)
His father got him involved in the sport.
Jac Orie [club], NED
