Dutch Swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal Wins Gold and Pays Tribute to Late Dog

 

On August 8, Olympic gold medalist Sharon van Rouwendaal triumphed in the women’s marathon swimming event in Paris, clinching her first gold medal of the Games. The Dutch swimmer delivered an impressive performance in the River Seine, outpacing Australia's Moesha Johnson and Italy's Ginevra Taddeucci.

Following her victory, the 30-year-old athlete shared an emotional tribute to her late dog, Rio, who had passed away shortly before the Paris Olympics. Van Rouwendaal revealed that Rio, who was named after Rio de Janeiro where she won gold in 2016, died due to complications from a lung surgery.

In a poignant post-race interview, Van Rouwendaal explained how Rio’s death profoundly affected her. "In May, my little dog died," she told reporters. "He needed an operation on his lungs, so I gave it to him in the hope that we could live after the Olympics together in my house and with my garden. And he had complications after the surgery and he died."

The loss of her beloved pet led her to a period of deep grief, during which swimming became secondary. However, Van Rouwendaal’s father encouraged her to compete in honor of Rio. "My dad said that you’ve been away from him for like seven years because of competitions. Do one more race and give it everything and swim for him," she recalled.

Van Rouwendaal honored Rio by tattooing his paw print on her wrist and dedicated her race to him. "I swam for him with my whole heart. I won it for him," she said.

With this victory, the Netherlands secured their 10th gold medal of the Paris Olympics, moving up to ninth in the overall medal standings, just behind Team GB, which held fifth place with 12 golds at the time of writing.