Nadine Visser has unfinished business with the European Athletics Championships. The Dutch athlete, currently the European leader over 60m hurdles has identified Roma 2024 as a key priority this year.
“I will definitely be going to Rome,” said the 29 year old Dutch athlete, European Athletics Indoor Championship gold medallist in both 2019 and 2021 and silver medallist last year.
“I would like to do well there and go for the medals. I have been quite unlucky if you look at European outdoor championships. I (have) had some years at my best in the World or Olympic final as best European.
“But there was no European Championships that year. And the years when there was, I had injuries and in my best year (2020), it was cancelled because of COVID. So, I really am motivated to do well there now.”
A massive year
It could be a massive year for Visser with the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, European Athletics Championships and Olympic Games all on her radar.
“It’s a big season and of course, Paris is the most important, but to me the Europeans is also really important, and I am also competing in Glasgow.
“But for now, the Olympics is far away so I am focussing on indoors, a few nice competitions and hopefully I am at my best at the World indoors.”
No regrets from heptathlon switch
A former heptathlete, she began to specialise in her best event - the sprint hurdles - in 2018 and success came almost immediately, winning bronze at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
“It’s some years ago now that I quit heptathlon and I have never felt regrets. I have always followed it and last year I was missing it sometimes. But I could not do it. Some events I was struggling with. For the first time I was feeling, ‘Did I stop too quick maybe?
“But I have been way more happy as a hurdler. I like the competitions and the sessions way more. My boyfriend always says, ‘When you finish your career, you should end with a heptathlon.’
“But I don’t see that happening,” she laughs. “One of my good friends is a heptathlete (Olympic and World silver medallist Anouk Vetter), so I really like to follow it.”
A former gymnast who focusses on athletics aged 13, she believes her background in a different sport and later in multi-eventing have given her the foundation to succeed.
“Gymnastics was a really good basis for me.” She says and then reflects on the residual benefits of her multi-event background. “At first time you can really build on your fitness and conditioning from 800m training. But at some point, you need to rebuild that in a different way because you are not doing the same sessions.
“It’s became way more specific, now we are reviewing every single detail from the hurdles. Before (as a heptathlete) we were only doing it once a week and it was my best event, but we could not work so well on it and that’s what I really like.”
A generation of Dutch talent
Visser is part of a generation of Dutch athletes, including Femke Bol, Lieke Klaver, Anouk Vetter, Jessica Schilder, Sifan Hassan and Abdi Nageeye challenging on European and world stages for medals. She is savouring being part of a special era for the sport in the Netherlands and the extra interest with the sport in her home country.
“We are competing in every category of the sport,” she says. “Some years ago, it was only sprints or only one single athlete at a time, so it’s really nice to see how the level of Dutch track and field has raised and it’s good to be part of that.
“I do feel like people understand the sport better. Before they understand you had to sprint from A to B. But that was it and now they understand other events also.”
The distinctive Orange vests are increasingly resplendent with gold, silver and bronze - it’s a look Visser is aiming for in Glasgow, Rome and Paris this year.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics