CCB

[hide] Preliminary Round December 3rd - December 8th, 2020 16 Nations, 4 Groups, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Nation from each Group will qualify for the Main Round Group A Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 December 4th 2020, h. 18:15 France 2 Montenegro December 4th 2020, h. 20:30 Denmark 4 Slovenia December 6th 2020, h. 18:15 Slovenia 4 France December 6th 2020, h. 20:30 Montenegro 0 Denmark December 8th 2020, h. 18:15 Montenegro 0 Slovenia December 8th 2020, h. 20:30 France 2 Denmark Group B Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 December 3rd 2020, h. 18:15 Russia 0 Spain December 3rd 2020, h. 20:30 Sweden 6 Czech Republic December 5th 2020, h. 18:15 Czech Republic 4 Russia December 5th 2020, h. 20:30 Spain 3 Sweden December 7th 2020, h. 18:15 Spain 5 Czech Republic December 7th 2020, h. 20:30 Russia 3 Sweden Group C Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 December 4th 2020, h. 18:15 Hungary 7 Croatia December 4th 2020, h. 20:30 Netherlands 1 Serbia December 6th 2020, h. 16:00 Serbia 4 Hungary December 6th 2020, h. 18:15 Croatia 2 Netherlands December 8th 2020, h. 18:15 Serbia 4 Croatia December 8th 2020, h. 20:30 Netherlands 4 Hungary Group D Date & Time (GMT +1) Nation 1 T1 T2 Nation 2 December 3rd 2020, h. 18:00 Romania 1 Germany December 3rd 2020, h. 20:30 Norway 5 Poland December 5th 2020, h. 16:00 Poland 5 Romania December 5th 2020, h. 18:15 Germany 4 Norway December 7th 2020, h. 18:15 Germany 5 Poland December 7th 2020, h. 20:30 Romania 3 Norway Top 3 Place 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place Nation Norway Hungary France [/hide]

As far as I know, all Dutch matches will be broadcasted live at Ziggo Sport. The documentary was great indeed, brought back all the memories of last year's World title.

Only five days to go before the beginning of the Euro Championships. World champion Netherlands miss their star players Nycke Groot (retired) and Estavana Polman (injured). Best stand-in Delaila Amega is also injured. So nobody in The Netherlands expect a good result. Otherwise, in 2019 nobody expected the world title either. Hopefully they can surprise again. But to be honest, top 8 would be okay. Pool C is very heavy: Serbia and especially Hungary are very strong opponents. @VektorWhat do you think? Is the Hungarian team ready for the European title?

Still bronze for Badloe. In my opinion the best chance for The Netherlands to win an Olympic gold medal next year. Unfortunately a very weak first part this week. Last 6 six races 2-8-2-1-1-1 a lot better. Which of the two Israeli will go to the Olympics?

Netherlands is also not participating. Unforuntately!

Netherlands also expressed their intention to participate in the event, except Kim Polling (-70kg) and some others. So we definitely won't send our best team.

Netherlands will represent only 13 judoka's, Kim Polling (-70 kg) withdrew, because she's afraid of Covid-19.

According to Dutch media the Grand Slam in Budapest will count for the Olympic ranking for Judo, which explains that The Netherlands sends its best judoka's to the event.

Very good results from the Dutch crew. But in most Olympic classes won by The Netherlands the favourites for the Olympics come from another continent: LW2x - New Zealand W4- - Australia W4x - China M2x - China Only the M4x from The Netherlands is a favourite for an Olympic gold medal. But still we have chances for some medals :-) Highlight for me this weekend: the final of the skiff (M1x) with a win for Denmark and a very close finish.

Sara Errani shouted to Kiki Bertens (in Italian) 'Go to hell'. Has Errani ever heard of sportmanship? Bertens won 9-7 in the 3rd set.

Exactly. Men's cycling will be boring too. And women's cycling will become even more boring when Chloe Dygert participates more often in women's races, because Dygert is way better than Van Vleuten and Van der Breggen (at least when she stays at her bike :-)).

Who's next year's favourite in the Olympics? Course will be a bit more difficult than today, but not that difficult. I think Evenepoel, Roglic and Van Aert will battle for the gold. Will Ganna ride as well, or does he have his focus on the track?

I don't understand the Qualification format for Doubles. The document states that 32 teams will participate. 1 team is the hostteam. Numbers 1 to 10 on the Doubles World Ranking will get a place. Then: Additional places up to and including the 24th Direct Acceptance team will be allocated to the highest ranked teams based on the Combined Ranking of each team on 7 June 2021. After the 24th team, which teams will fill up the draw to 32 teams? I presume they will use the Combined Ranking again, but why are they speaking of the 24th Direct Acceptance? Hopefully Dutch Demi Schuurs will qualify, however she's not in the top 10 of the World Doubles Ranking. She wants to play with Kiki Bertens. On the men's side Wesley Koolhof and JJ Rojer (both outside the top 10) want to participate.

Visser shows some good results lately. 12,68 again! Bol wins the 400 hurdles in 54,68, not an impressive time, but still good for her. It's her first year competing at a high level. Both Visser and Bol are becoming more popular in the Netherlands than Dafne Schippers. Now looking forward to the 110 m hurdles men!!

Last day. Maybe a medal in women's omnium or men's keirin will help! My bed is calling, I really need some sleep after two magnificent weeks. ... So, the dream ends here. Hopefully we can really experience the Games next year!

Day 15: Madison men with one of my favourite athletes, weirdo Jan Willem van Schip, together with Youri Havik. Small chance they medal, but nothing is impossible. Team jumping final also on my list. Our best rider Jeroen Dubbeldam (Olympic champion 2000) just has a new horse, Oak Groves Carlyle. Maybe he and the other team members can surprise the favourites USA, Sweden, Germany, France and Belgium. Also a lot of finals, a very nice day to watch. Please enjoy, tomorrow it's over :-(

Hockey finals today, but above all the 4x100 relays! And from a Dutch point of view the Madison at Track Cycling. Kirsten Wild and Amy Pieters became world champion this year, but both are of a respectable age already. I'm afraid 2021 will come too late for them. Wild thought she was already retired by now ...

First choice: Rotterdam Then: Hamburg and Nice

Today marathon swimming for men. Very curious if Ferry Weertman can retain his Olympic title from Rio. And of course men's sprint finals. Rudyk, Hoogland or Lavreysen? I guess Kenny. Only a few days to go. It drives me crazy it's almost over again

Indeed, today's the start of men's sprinting: will be interesting to see what Mateusz Rudyk can do. He is very talented and one of the biggest threats for Lavreysen. We'll see tomorrow in the finals! Nice that you cheer for The Netherlands. Every support helps! You cannot have a bad day in the quarterfinals. By the way: there are some rumours that the best Dutch player in history, Nycke Groot, will return to the national team (because of Estavana Polman's injury). That would be great. Today also reigning Olympic champion marathon swimming Sharon van Rouwendaal. I really like her. She always is so determined and committed. And beside that: she endures the freaks of het French coach Philipe Lucas. Now she has an shoulder injury (again), hopefully next year she can fight for a medal. Other highlights: men team pursuit, team jumping equestrian and hockey semis.

For most people Van den Berg, Lavreysen and Hoogland will be the favourites in the men's teamsprint, but for me is pretty clear that GB will win. They always win when it comes to it. Surely GB will have the best bikes and will win almost all track-competitions. Gymnastics: normally this would be the farewell exercise of Epke Zonderland (when he qualifies). Another Dutch Bart Deurloo also has chances to make it to the final. At the women's beam I don't really expect reigning Olympic champion Sanne Wevers. Her father and trainer is accused of mistreatment by the Dutch federation and not longer entitled to train with his daughter. Besides there are other good gymnasts that can qualify for the Olympics, like Sanna Veerman (uneven bars), Eythora Thorsdottir (beam/floor), Tisha Volleman (floor/vault) and Naomi Visser (all around). I would choose these four. Day 11 also the day of the hockey semifinals with the Dutch women for sure and hopefully the men as well. I'm not a big fan of their coach, Max Caldas. And of course athletics: that's a party every day :-)

Barcelona 1992 - Ellen van Langen - Gold in 800m athletics Lillehammer 1994 - no memories Atlanta 1996 - Dutch volleyballteam men - Gold Nagano 1998 - Hiroyasu Shimizu - gold 500m speedskating Sydney 2000 - Dutch Dominance in the pool - Inge de Bruijn and Pieter van den Hoogenband - 5 Golds Salt Lake City 2002 - Steven Bradbury - shorttrack 1000m Athens 2004 - Gold for Pieter van den Hoogenband again (100m freestyle) Torino 2006 - 8 years after double gold, Marianne Timmer gold in 1000m speedskating (I was there ;-)) Beijing 2008 - Usain Bolt Vancouver 2010 - Gold for speedskater Mark Tuitert in the 1500m (I was there ;-)) London 2012 - Epke Zonderland on high bar: gold (I was there ;-)) Sochi 2014 - winter Olympics in +30 degrees Rio 2016 - first appearance of a Dutch handball team PyeongChang 2018 - Ireen Wüst winning her 5th gold medal at her 4th Olympics (I was there ;-)) Tokyo 2020 - Harrie Lavreysen winning a gold in track cycling sprint (I'm hoping)

Day 10: highlight for me will be athletics, 200m women with Miller-Uibo, Fraser-Pryce, Thompson and Asher-Smith. And maybe, maybe, maybe Dafne Schippers. Hopefully she uses this extra year to find back her form of 2015-2017. Last prelims in women's handball competition today as well. Track cycling begins today. It will only become interesting for The Netherlands when their men's teamsprinters come in action. That's Tuesday.

Highlight for The Netherlands on the 9th day: Marit Bouwmeester in the Laser Radial. But there is so much more: the final of the 50 freestyle for men and women. Probably without Dutch participation, but who knows ... on the women's side we still have 2012-Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo and on the men's side Kenzo Simons broke the World Junior Record last december. Hopefully he qualifies already for the 2021-Olympics. Both Dutch hockeyteams normally will make their appearance in the quarterfinals. The women will be the clear favourite for gold, on the men's side I expect Germany and Belgium. And as icing on the cake the 100m men! WOW! Altogether a nice day!

It's our best handball player: Estavana Polman, voted as the MVP of the last WCh and wife of the more or less known Dutch football star Rafael van der Vaart. Coincidentally you ask that. This morning I read she yesterday has been seriously injured, she has torn her cruciate ligament. Very sad to hear, first of all for herself, but also for the Dutch team, which is nowhere without her. Predicted recovery time is longer than a year. Olympic Games at risk. So you probably can't support her next year