Arrested swimmer Heemskerk elected Sports Personality 2021

Last year, gymnasts who spoke out against abuse in their sport were collectively named Sports Personality of the Year. The NSP Prize has previously been awarded to Arjen Robben (2014), Max Verstappen (2015), Sven Kramer (2016), Annemiek van Vleuten (2017), Robin van Persie (2018) and Estavana Polman (2019).

Heemskerk decided to quit swimming after the Tokyo Olympics last year. She said goodbye to the International Swimming League in Eindhoven in early December. Heemskerk won gold in the 4×100 meter freestyle at the 2008 Games with the Dutch relay team. Earlier this year, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, who like Heemskerk was one of the hit ‘Golden Girls’, also decided to end her career.

Willem Vissers van de Volkskrant has been named sports journalist of the year. The Sports Journalist of the Year Award went to Chiel van Koldenhoven (NOS). Rijnmond journalist Dennis van Eersel received the Scoop of the Year award, with the news that Feyenoord had again postponed a decision on the arrival of a new stadium. Photographer Robin van Lonkhuijsen of the ANP news agency takes the sports photo of the year, a photo of Mathieu van der Poel’s fall during the Olympic mountain bike race.