My 2023 | No one in the water saw the European Championship gold coming from “Snode Lenny”.

The year 2023 is ending. In the traditional year-end series, 11 athletes and one coach look back on an eventful year. Today: rower Lennart van Lierop.

“Snode Lenny” does not use a coal shovel as a rudder. His oar silently cuts through the water. Technology sir. After the European individual ski final on rugged Lake Bled, the Delft native marveled at the Olympic champion, the world champion and, of course, himself. Oops, only European champions are in the king’s count.

“What are you doing? Are you completely crazy or something?” That was the last thing Karolien Florijn could say before hugging Lennart van Lierop (29). His medal in individual rowing didn’t matter for a while. Van Lierop’s gold sent the entire Dutch rowing team into a frenzy.

He was quite worried just before the race in May this year. Because he had to compete against the “big boys”. They thought he had no chance until he was still leading with 500 meters to go. His subsequent surprise was almost touching.

Above all else, Van Lierop remembers the rowing enthusiasts and workers on the water. “Nobody saw it coming. I rowed for a long time before joining the Dutch team and becoming successful. This brought up a lot of emotions. This was given to me.”

Besides the compliments and recognition, his golden victory in Bled brought him something perhaps even more valuable: “self-confidence and a little bit of the ‘I’m just fine’ arrogance.” Winning in one scull alone means showing: Ben can be there.

But just after his greatest success in the rowing boat to date, Van Lierop was struck in the nose. National coach Eelco Meenhorst, who was named Coach of the Year, did not select him as a skier for the World Championships at the end of the summer. Finn Florijn, Tone Wieten and Koen were waiting for Van Lierop in the double scull with Metsemakers.

Choice with heart or head

A serious chance for a World Cup gold medal in individual rowing. No, says Van Lierop, the World Cup seat in the four-person bobsled was not a punishment. “I wanted to continue skiing too, and I could stand the loneliness of doing everything alone.” Van Lierop was fascinated by the boat, but he also felt: I can’t do this all the time.

“My heart said: Boat. But my head was saying: If you go skiing and they become world champions, then you’re going to kick yourself.”

The head was right. Van Lierop ended his rowing year with a World Cup gold medal in September, sailing alongside Florijn, Wieten and Metsemakers.

Van Lierop says the double-oarers benefited from the single-oared adventure in Slovenia. By raising one of the boat’s propellers, the entire ship travels several knots faster. “Work is a lot more fun when you know that I’m ‘good’ and when you say something, people listen, they value my contributions.”

The focus, meanwhile, is immortality waiting around a bend in France’s River Marne. The four are only thinking of Paris 2024 in capital letters.

There is no doubt that Van Lierop, Florijn, Wieten and Metsemakers will take the places in the four-row scull. Van Lierop wasn’t particularly nervous about this week’s trials, where the national coach helped determine the boat setup for next season. Bled’s self-confidence is like a life jacket.

“Shameful Lenny”

Van Lierop’s mouth is not very wide, but it is sharp. The nickname “Snode Lenny” quickly emerged after a lively game night. The rower also attacked from the dugout as he took the gold medal from Olympic champion Stefanos Ntouskos and world champion Oliver Zeidler in individual rowing.

“This was the worst performance I could have done.”

What happened in those two kilometers in Bled was definitely not theft. After all, nothing gets stolen while rowing. You are only as good as your recent times tell you. The best of the day wins.

Therefore, Van Lierop does not dare to believe that the quartet will win the Olympic gold medal in Paris. Injuries, bad luck or God knows what awaits us. The speed of the boat next season is still uncertain. “I can scream so loud right now, but it puts so much pressure on us.”

“It is always possible to have someone better. If we do our best and come second or third, unfortunately that’s it. “You cannot control your opponent.”

A rower carries this knowledge. The boat requires absolute dedication and offers little safety. And all this while the rowers are stuck with spartan training. “It’s like studying math, you have to sink your teeth into it. “You have to put a lot of time and energy into it.”

As a qualified mathematician, Van Lierop should know this. He worked for a company that developed teaching methods for years until he decided to focus entirely on rowing boats in 2020.

towards paris

“I was still working 30 hours a week. Row in the morning, work in the afternoon, row in the evening. “I don’t have to run from here to here anymore.” Van Lierop immediately noticed that he was rowing faster. Sea life, which started at the age of twelve on a boat in Delft, reached its peak in Bled and Belgrade. Now to Paris.

The interest in boats will not disappear in the near future, who knows, it will be an option when returning from Paris. Van Lierop says the thought came very early. “I definitely don’t want to be the center of attention, but it’s nice to be able to win in individual rowing.”

Source: NOS

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