Hordeloopster Nadine Visser says goodbye to national coach Bart Bennema after ten years

As for Ad Roskam, technical director of the Athletics Union until the end of this year, all options for his future are negotiable. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where our athletes train, as long as they win medals.”

Visser posted his breakup announcement with Bennema on his Instagram page on Tuesday. “After ten years, I say goodbye to Bart as a coach. It was a difficult decision after such a long collaboration,” she wrote in English.

It was not out of discontent that Visser broke up with Bennema, Roskam knows that. “Ten years is extremely long,” he says. “Usually the expiry date between the athlete and the coach is reached after about five to eight years. Afterwards, we see more often that an athlete is looking for something new, without already knowing what.

Visser finds himself in this situation. This year, she missed the World Cup final and fell short of the European Championships 0.01 seconds from bronze. It is a disappointment, but which is explained by a disturbed start to the season. She battled a hamstring injury in the spring, just like she did in the Olympic year. Despite this, she still reached the final in Tokyo. This time, his body cooperated less well with the recovery. Roskam: “After a difficult season, the curiosity for something else is aroused even earlier.

Possible federation trainers

In the period ahead, Visser will determine how she wants to shape her future on the athletics track. This is done in consultation with the Athletics Union, as Visser may be able to approach one of the other national coaches. “We will still explore the different options, but we still have more good hurdle coaches in Papendal.”

Roskam mentions Ronald Vetter, who as a versatile coach knows the discipline well. This also applies to former supercamper Ingmar Vos, who has been working as a talent coach for over a year. And maybe there are others with sprint expertise. “Hedging is very technical, but every eventing and sprint coach has experience with it.” Bennema herself is an example. He was first a national all-around coach, in this capacity he took Visser under his wing. Only in the past five years has she dedicated herself exclusively to hurdling.

A life after Papendal

Visser can also continue without a national coach and join a Dutch coach outside the federation system or with a group abroad. Roskam is open to anything, despite being the man who has adamantly aimed for a centralization of the top-level sports program at Papendal in recent years. The land in the Arnhem Forests is the central center of expertise and the hub of union agendas, admits Roskam, but: “It’s not a central dogma. We don’t have the ideal trainer at Papendal for everyone.

There are more who have said goodbye in recent years with the blessing of Athletics Union Papendal. For example, discus thrower and shot putter Jorinde van Klinken trains in America at the University of Oregon. And last year Dafne Schippers also left Bennema to join former national coach Wigert Thunnissen and strength coaches Collin Dam and Martijn Hoekstra. She still uses various facilities in Papendal.

Sifan Hassan left Papendal after the 2016 Games. She went to the Nike Oregon Project in the United States, which is still her home base, even after the project itself was shut down due to the doping scandal involving the coach Alberto Salazar.

Thanks to her sponsor Nike, she can pay her trainer Tim Rowberry, but the double Olympic champion can also count on the financial support of the Netherlands. Naturally, the registration fees for the European and World Championships are covered by the association, but the training camps which take place immediately before are also financed. And the Athletics Union removed the wallet from an altitude room in Hassan’s house. “In this way, we select the elements with which we can help. We meet twice a year and we have constant contact between the two.’

Such a scenario is also possible for Visser. She does not have as much financial means as Hassan, but can count on sponsorship income and therefore on the support of the Athletics Union. Either way, she doesn’t have to worry about her future, Roskam thinks. “Nadine is so good, she can go anywhere.”