Sjinkie Knegt

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When and where did you begin this sport?	He began skating in 1999 in Heerenveen, Netherlands.
Club / Team	Shorttrack Club Thialf: Heerenveen, NED
Name of coach	Jeroen Otter [national], NED
Reason for choosing this sport	He was encouraged to take up the sport by a coach. "I love short track because of the game. You compete against four or five people and not against the clock like speed skating."

Sporting philosophy / motto	"Pressure does not make you skate faster." (isu.org, 09 Mar 2017)
Other sports	He has competed in international level autocross events. (schaatsen.nl, 27 May 2018)
Milestones	His bronze medal in the 1000m at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi was the Netherlands' first Olympic medal in short track. In 2017 he became the first Dutch short track skater to win individual gold over a single distance at the world championships, when he triumphed in the 500m. (isu.org, 15 Feb 2014; nrc.nl, 11 Mar 2017)
Awards and honours	He was named the Best Male Short Track Skater in the Netherlands at the 2018 Ard Schenk Awards Gala. (schaatsen.nl, 20 Mar 2018) He was named Male Short Track Athlete of the Year in 2015/16 by the Royal Dutch Skating Association [KNSB]. (schaatsen.nl, 07 Apr 2016) He was named the 2015 Sportsman of the Year in the Netherlands. (nos.nl, 23 Dec 2015)
Ambitions	To win a gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games. (sjinkieknegt.nl, 08 Oct 2017)
Hobbies	Cars, metal work. (sjinkieknegt.nl, 08 Oct 2017)
Injuries	In January 2019 he sustained third degree burns on his left leg and was hospitalised after his clothes caught fire during a domestic accident. (isu.org, 12 Jan 2019) He broke three ribs after a heavy fall at the 2016 World Cup event in Dordrecht, Netherlands. He also suffered injuries to his lung, liver and spleen in the incident. (omropfryslan.nl, 28 Sep 2016; nos.nl, 13 Feb 2016) A fever meant he was unable to compete at the 2016 National Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands. (schaatsen.nl, 03 Jan 2016) In August 2013 he tore cartilage in his left knee and was forced to have surgery. (nos.nl, 1berp 2013)
Other information	HINDSIGHT BRINGS SATISFACTION He was initially disappointed not to have won gold at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang, but learnt to be happy with his silver medal. He took a break after the Games, before returning for the 2018/19 season. "After the Games I learned to be happy with that Olympic [silver] medal. You have to remember that there are twelve who can win at short track. When I returned from Asia it was out of my system. I did take a long break this year." (eenvandaag.avrotros.nl, 22 Aug 2018) AUTOCROSS RACER He made his Autocross international debut in Rutenbrock, Germany in 2018. "In our village we always had an autocross competition and I thought it was fantastic.The past four years I have gone with my friends to international meets so I was infected with it a little, I said 'I want to try this too'." (schaatsen.nl, 27 May 2018) DISQUALIFICATION He was disqualified after making an obscene gesture towards Russian skater Victor An at the finish of the 5000m relay at the 2014 European Championships in Dresden, Germany. Knegt trailed An by about two metres as they crossed the finish line in first and second, and stuck both his middle fingers up in An's direction. He also kicked the air in frustration. He was ordered to give back the bronze medal he had won in the overall competition in Dresden, although he was allowed to keep the silver from the 5000m relay. He later apologised. "Of course I'm sorry. It was done out of emotion and frustration, but not with a specific purpose. It's not the smartest thing I've ever done." (rtlnieuws.nl, 20 Jan 2014; nos.nl, 20 Jan 2014; independent.co.uk, 20 Jan 2014)