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Dutch Dressage News
Dutch Olympic A-Team of Nine Riders Announced
November 28, 2007
 At
an official press conference in Arnheim 255 days before
the Olympic Games in Hong Kong, Dutch dressage
chef d'equipe announced that she has assembled an A-team
of nine riders from which the Dutch Olympic team will
be selected.
The nine selected Olympic A-team riders are in alphabetical
order Adelinde Cornelissen, Kirsten Beckers, Hans Peter
Minderhoud, Stephanie Peters, Imke Schellekens-Bartels,
Marlies van Baalen, Anky van Grunsven, Laurens van
Lieren, and Alex van Silfhout. The definite Dutch Olympic
team will be named after the final selection trial
at the CDIO Rotterdam (June 19-22, 2008).
Mariette Sanders explained that she was striving for
clarity, definitiveness and transparence: "We selected
the riders for this A-team based on their performances
the past few months. This is clarity. Definitiveness
implies that all riders will train with Sjef Janssen
a few times a month. Transparence will be achieved
through two clear observation and selection trials.
Those take place at the Outdoor Gelderland and CHIO
Rotterdam competitions. All riders will show at these
competitions and many judges who will be judging at
the Olympics in China will be present at these shows."
The Dutch Olympic Federation will also help the riders
to be fit for the weather conditions in China. The
riders will be coached by Tjeerd De Vries (physician
NOC*NSF) and Ruud Jacobs (physiotherapist) who have
created individual fitness programs for each rider.
Mental coaches as well as nutritionists are at the
disposal of the riders. Performance physiologist Eric
van Breda will assist in stimulating the fitness of
the horses.
Only three riders and one reserve will be able to
qualify for the team that competes at the 2008 Olympic
Games. Holland won its first team gold medal this year
at the 2007 European Dressage Championships and will
go all the way to repeat this feat in Hong Kong.
Related Links
CHIO Aachen Quarantine
Site in the run-up to 2008 Olympic Games
FEI Announces
2008 Olympic Officials
Horse Quarantine
for 2008 Olympics Finalised
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