World Championships: Roos Vanotterdijk On Ripping Up The File Books & Mark Faber’s Positivity
Roos Vanotterdijk heads to Singapore for the most recent cease on her odyssey in a 12 months during which she’s ripped up the Belgian file books and earned a golden treble on the European Underneath-23 Championships.
The Paris Olympian received the 50/100 fly double and 50m backstroke and in addition claimed 50 free and 100 again silver on the U23s in Samorin in June.
That included two titles within the area of 27 minutes, one thing that works properly for Vanotterdijk who competes throughout all disciplines bar breaststroke.
She instructed Swimming World: “I do one thing after which I don’t have time to consider the opposite occasions – I simply go to the decision room, simply dive in and have enjoyable doing it. I don’t actually have to consider something I do, I’ve accomplished it 100 instances in coaching so simply do the identical at competitors. I simply actually get pleasure from doing it as a result of then I don’t must be in my head a lot.”
Roos Vanotterdijk: Photograph Courtesy: Royal Belgian Swimming Federation
The 20-year-old has been setting nationwide requirements since 2023 and he or she started this 12 months’s file run on the Flanders Cup in February the place she clocked 53.62 and 58.97 within the 100 free and 100 again respectively.
On to April’s Swim Open Stockholm the place she lowered the 50 again mark to 27.81, a time she matched on the AP Worldwide in Might. She moved close by of breaking the 57-sec barrier within the 100 fly in 57.05 and clocked 2:13.22 within the 200IM, a time she demolished on the French Championships, slicing a 3.49sec chunk in 2:09.73.
She then lowered Kimberley Buys’ 50 fly mark that had stood since 2017 worlds to 25.63 on the European U23s.
Not that anybody file notably stands out, Vanotterdijk having shocked even herself along with her fee of enchancment.
She stated:
“I did some large drops in all the things so all the things actually shocked me. On the Flanders Cup I did the 100 again in 58.9 – I didn’t count on that in any respect as a result of I’d solely swum 59 3 times earlier than. I used to be simply feeling good after which I dropped virtually 0.7. Then I did the freestyle in 53 and I used to be like how is that this occurring? So, within the second these two had been superb.
“However then in Stockholm I did the 100 fly and took 0.2 off my PB which is very nice however the factor that impressed me most was my 29 again half. I had Angelina Köhler subsequent to me however I swim rather well when there may be somebody subsequent to me, I all the time go a bit sooner. I do know within the fly it must be my again half – my entrance isn’t all that good but, we’re nonetheless engaged on that.
“The 2IM? That was loopy. So, it’s actually troublesome to simply choose one – I actually don’t know. I’m happy with all of them.”
Safely Navigating Junior & Senior Waters
It began when a three-year-old Vanotterdijk was launched to the water by her mother and father.
From that second on, she by no means stopped and at 11 she moved to a sports activities boarding college an hour away in Antwerp, the town the place she trains at present.
It was, she says, “a bit bizarre” as she’d by no means been away from house however she thrived and at 14 Vanotterdijk received silverware on the worldwide stage with 100 fly silver on the 2019 European Youth Olympic Pageant in Baku.
Roos Vanotterdijk: Photograph Courtesy: European Aquatics
It marked the beginning of a trajectory which noticed her compete in tandem at junior and senior competitors. She made her senior continental debut on the European Championships in Budapest in Might 2021 earlier than travelling to Rome for the European Juniors the place she received 50 fly bronze.
The 2022 version of the continental juniors underlined her versatility as she left Otopeni, Romania, with 5 medals in fly, freestyle and backstroke together with 100 fly gold. Weeks later she reached the 100 fly remaining on the senior equal in Rome, inserting eighth.
With Fred Vergnoux on the helm of Belgian swimming, 2023 was a 12 months during which Vanotterdijk made a stir in senior waters.
She made her worlds debut in Fukuoka in 2023 and though impacted by damage which meant she might solely kick within the water, it was an “superb expertise.”
She stated: “Underneath the circumstances I did actually good so I used to be actually happy with myself, actually happy with how all the things went but it surely simply wasn’t nice as a result of I had a a lot greater stage all through the remainder of the 12 months. It was a bit troublesome however actually, I loved the world stage, simply seeing all the things, it’s a lot greater, simply to get the expertise and take it into the following meet.”
Vergnoux departed and Vanotterdijk began working with Brigitte Becue, the 1994 world 200 breast bronze medallist and three-time European champion.
Because the clock ticked all the way down to the Paris Olympics, Vanotterdijk travelled to Belgrade, Serbia, for the European Championships. There she topped the senior worldwide podium for the primary time within the 100 fly, considered one of three medals together with 50 fly silver and 100 again bronze.
Weeks later, she headed over the border and on to the French capital for her Olympic debut. She recollects:
“We had been in Paris for not less than every week earlier than the competitions began so a number of time. So the primary days I simply walked round the entire Village, I did like 20,000 steps. I used to be simply having fun with it, taking a look at all the things. Additionally I went to Paris like – I don’t must do something, I simply must get pleasure from myself. It’s only a very nice expertise.
“So I don’t have something to show: I used to be simply there to get pleasure from myself and in addition I used to be 19, I used to be like I don’t must do something proper now, I simply must get pleasure from myself. I’ve to get as a lot expertise as potential and I can take it to the following 4 years and simply use it there. I went to Paris actually relaxed as a result of I didn’t put any stress on myself in any respect – I used to be like, simply get pleasure from it. After which in the event you get pleasure from what you do then the nice races will come so on the finish I did swim actually good, actually pleased with that however I used to be simply there with like no stress from myself in any respect.”
Vanotterdijk went on to complete tenth within the 100 again and 100 fly.
She capped off the 12 months by shredding the Belgian file books within the short-course pool earlier than persevering with that trajectory within the 50m pool in 2025.
Mark Faber & His Ripple Impact
Now Vanotterdijk travels to the World Championships as one of many high eight performers within the fly occasions.
With the 200IM and 100 fly scheduled for the opening day and the 100 again on day two, it’s possible that she’ll drop the brief medley.
Regardless of that, Vanotterdijk will possible compete in as many as six particular person occasions, one thing which fits her mentally.
Florine Gaspard: Photograph Courtesy: Royal Belgian Swimming Federation
“I feel generally it’s a bit harder for me to have one occasion a day as a result of – properly, I’m not used to it as a result of I’m all the time doing a number of issues after which I actually begin enthusiastic about like what do I’ve to do? I feel it simply helps me to not assume and have enjoyable.”
Vanotterdijk is now guided by Mark Faber who left the Netherlands to take up the function of Belgium head coach final 12 months.
She credit Faber with being empathetic and receptive and having an individualised strategy to every swimmer.
“He simply actually listens to what I’ve to say. He listens to my standpoint and tries to know. I feel that’s actually vital; I haven’t had that with all my coaches. So, it’s very nice that somebody tries to know you and in addition respects you and appears at extra than simply the swimmer since you’re nonetheless an individual first and then you definately’re an athlete and then you definately’re a swimmer.
“He appears to be like on the steps and appears on the psychological half as a result of generally that could be a bit forgotten, they simply don’t assume it’s as vital because the bodily half however I feel it’s extra vital.”
Vanotterdijk, who research psychology on the College of Brussels, trains alongside Florine Gaspard who set a nationwide 50 free mark of 24.42 on the Swim Open Stockholm. The pair will quickly be joined by Olympic bronze medallists Tes Schouten and Caspar Corbeau who will reunite with Faber having labored with him in Amsterdam.
Vanotterdijk continued:
“I feel it makes everybody higher simply to be challenged a bit. It was a bit much less prior to now however now it’s actually serving to us. We’re actually good associates and it’s simply superb to see how we will push one another as a result of we’re additionally tremendous glad for one another. I feel it’s only a actually optimistic atmosphere and that additionally simply actually helps and Mark has actually contributed to that as properly. He simply retains it optimistic, simply do the onerous work however actually don’t neglect to get pleasure from it, and he additionally places a number of consideration on that and that actually helps.”
