.JPG) Van Ruijven at the2014 Winter Olympics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Lara Victoria van Ruijven | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Dutch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1992-12-28)28 December 1992 Naaldwijk, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 10 July 2020(2020-07-10) (aged 27) Perpignan, France | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 58 kg (128 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country |  Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Short track speed skating | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event | 500 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | HVHW | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup wins | 10[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest world ranking | 24 (500m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personalbest(s) | 500 m: 42.453 (2019) 1000 m: 1:28.006 (2018) 1500 m: 2:23.588 (2018) 3000 m: 5:14.025 (2015) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Lara Victoria van Ruijven (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈlaːraːvɑnˈrœyvə(n)]; 28 December 1992 – 10 July 2020) was a Dutchshort track speed skater. At the2018 Winter Olympics, she was part of the Dutch3000 metres relay team that won a bronze medal. She won gold at theWorld Championships one year later. By doing so, she became the first Dutch woman to win a world short track title at an individual event.
Lara Victoria van Ruijven was born inNaaldwijk (nearThe Hague) on December 28 1992. She began racing short track when she was six, and her childhood idol wasEvgenia Radanova. She studied law at theOpen University of the Netherlands and resided inHeerenveen. In addition to her native Dutch, she also spoke English and French.[1][2]
Van Ruijven first competed as a member of the Dutch Olympic team at the2014 Winter Olympics. In the500 metres she was third in her heat, failing to advance, and placing 17th overall. As a member of the Dutch3000 metre relay team, she was disqualified in the heats, again not advancing.[3][4] Throughout that year, she had problems with her knee that compelled her to change her training routine. Three years later, in September 2017, shedislocated her shoulder.[1]
She breakthrough year came in 2018, when she earned her first Olympic medal at that year'sWinter Games, as part of the Dutch team that finished third in the3000 metre relay.[1][5] Several weeks later, she secured her first medal at theWorld Championships, when her team finished runner-up in the 3000 metre relay.[1]
At the2019 World Championships, Van Ruijven won a gold medal in the 500 metres (1,600 ft) event and was in the lead for almost the entirety of the race.[5] However, the Dutch team were unable to improve on their result in the 3000 metre relay from the previous year and dropped to fourth place.[1] By securing gold, she became the first Dutch woman to win a world short track title at an individual event.[5] Van Ruijven finished fourth overall in terms of total points won at the championships.[1]
Van Ruijven was hospitalized on 25 June 2020, after falling ill during a stay at a training camp nearFont-Romeu-Odeillo-Via.[6][7] Four days later, she was transferred to anintensive care unit due to anautoimmune disease.[5] She was subsequently placed in acoma and underwent multiple surgeries,[5] but her condition did not improve.[8] She died on 10 July 2020 at a hospital inPerpignan, France; she was 27 years old.[9][10]
Source:[1]
| Date | Season | Location | Rank | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 February 2013 | 2012–13 | Dresden |  | 3000 m relay |
| 5 February 2017 | 2016–17 | Dresden | | 3000 m relay |
| 19 November 2017 | 2017–18 | Seoul | | 3000 m relay |
| 4 November 2018 | 2018–19 | Calgary | | 500m |
| 9 December 2018 | 2018–19 | Almaty | | 3000 m relay |
| 10 February 2019 | 2018–19 | Turin | | 3000 m relay |
| 7 December 2019 | 2019–20 | Shanghai | | 2000m relay |
| 9 February 2020 | 2019–20 | Dresden | | 3000 m relay |
| 15 February 2020 | 2019–20 | Dordrecht | | 500m |
| 16 February 2020 | 2019–20 | Dordrecht | | 3000 m relay |
