Schippers shine again ‘after the best pick ever’ on the athletics track

The double world champion in the 200 meters has completely changed course after a long vacation. The 29-year-old sprinter left Papendal and coach Bart Bennema and put together a whole new team of coaches and supervisors. The base is now in Haarlem with former national coach Wigert Thunnissen. “Everything is different and I’m very happy that I made this choice. It also had to be different, I just wanted to get rid of these back problems. If you wake up every day with pain, the pleasure of your sport disappears.” she said after the 100 meters in Hengelo, in which she finished fifth in 11.40.

“I can hardly say I’m happy with this time,” said the athlete, who holds the Dutch record with 10.81 and once thrilled the Hengelo crowd with a time of less than 11 seconds. “It goes very well in training sessions, but in competitions you notice that you quickly fall into old patterns. Last year I couldn’t start properly from the starting block because of my back problems. What I did was stand up straight immediately. I want to eliminate that. It works great in training, but in a game it still has to wear down.”

Schippers notices that she is impatient. “I just have to improve a bit every game and focus mainly on my own path. It’s hard for me sometimes, I actually want to be five steps further. He’s the best athlete in me. But with fifteen years of top sport at the highest level and with serious injuries it is important that the body rests and that I remain patient that is why I am only doing the 100 meters at the moment and leaving the 200 meters . I see it as a gap year.’ and that’s not bad at all, but I like playing games and going to a tournament.”

The Utrecht girl, who is still fifth all-time with her time of 21.63 in the 200 metres, says she has full confidence in her new approach. “I think I can still do very good times and the training sessions also show that, although I’m not working on the limit for the World Cup or the European Championship yet. It’s important that I give up caution in competitions and then it comes by itself. The flame still burns, I love what I do. I made the best choice ever by choosing this other path. I hope I will receive soon a reward for work.