The run-up to this tournament was very special for me. For me also a crucial year in my career. I played in Germany at Rot Weiss and was eliminated for the champions trophy in Auckland. Was sharpened by Paul van Ass. I started training harder and better and came back 10x better.

When I was 20 years old I was finally allowed to go to the Olympic Games in London. You can hardly describe such a feeling, the feeling that you are allowed to walk around there among the best athletes of this world is something magical. I thought everything was beautiful and I was able to truly enjoy everything and absorb it. With a nice group of old players like Nooijer and Evers (captino) and next to it the younger group the dynamics were fantastic. Winning a silver medal in front of family and friends will never go away and you become more proud of it every day!

I'm more of a man of the small things. Picking up and dropping off the laundry, going to the village, the dining room that was as big as 2 football fields where all the athletes mixed together
eating. Having coffee and watching people. A mega cool vibe to be in! I scored my first Olympic goal there which is of course something you remember. Beating England on their home ground 9-2, which we played a big part in with the youngsters. Those are the best memories of the Games for me.

The biggest disappointment at the Olympic Games for me was that I didn't win a gold medal, I thought about that for a long time... now it doesn't bother me as much and I'm especially proud of what we achieved there.

RIO and Tokyo were a drama. In Rio the dynamics between staff and players were not good, far too much whining in and on the field. Not the culture to win prizes.

Tokyo was the most strange of the 3. In Corona time, no spectators, everyone panicked about getting infected. In addition, there was again no good cohesion among each other + staff. In retrospect, it was a great shame to experience this. It is a tournament that you have to enjoy intensely, and I did anything but that
done.

If I had to describe the feeling of the Olympics, it was something very intangible for a long time. Acting on the highest stage in sports, not many people can say.