Sharon van Rouwendaal from Netherlands received the 10km marathon swim on the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, August 8. She dedicates the win to her cherished puppy canine, Rio, who passed on to the great beyond in Might of this yr.
Rouwendaal’s Pomeranian canine, Rio, was once named after the 2016 Rio Olympics, the place the Dutch swimmer first received her Olympic Gold on the 10km marathon swim.
We Price Canines printed that Rio passed on to the great beyond because of headaches from a lung surgical treatment.
On Might 7, Rouwendaal wrote a heartfelt message for Rio on Instagram, pronouncing, “Lately I want to say good-bye to my little guy who has given me the most efficient feeling on the planet, higher than any medal I ever received, higher than any swimming second I’ve ever skilled.“
The Olympic champion mentioned that her puppy canine is a very powerful factor in her existence. She even printed that she purchased a area for her and Rio to reside in proper after the 2024 Paris Olympics.
So, when the pooch passed on to the great beyond, Rouwendaal tells EuroSport that her “global stopped” and he or she “didn’t need to swim”.
However Rouwendaal’s father advised her to proceed swimming and to “do it for him [Rio]”. She added, “And I sought after to swim yet one more Olympics for him.”
Chatting with We Price Canines, Rouwendaal mentioned she were given a paw tattoo in honor of Rio. “So I had a tattoo 3 days after the cremation and I mentioned, ‘Let’s check out it and I will be able to swim for him with my complete middle’ — and I did it — I received for him.’”
After successful gold at 2024 Paris Olympics, Rouwendaal emerged from the Seine, crying whilst pointing at and kissing on the paw tattoo on her wrist.
Rouwendaal has received 3 consecutive Olympic medals within the 10km marathon swim tournament. She received gold within the 2016 Rio Olympics, silver within the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and gold once more within the 2024 Paris Olympics.
And with Rouwendaal’s fresh 2024 Paris Olympic win, she turns into the primary feminine marathon swimmer to win gold at a couple of Olympics, Eurosport unearths.
The Olympics additionally unearths that Rouwendaal is the primary athlete ever in marathon swimming to win 3 medals within the mentioned self-discipline.