Jetze Plat

Started: He first tried Para cycling in 1995 while at school, and took up the sport professionally in 2005. He began competing in Para triathlon at international level in 2013. (bp.com, 2016) Reason: "My parents saw someone handcycling close to our home, which inspired them to buy me a handbike. I was only five years old so I've been riding a long time. When I was 12 or 13, the owner of the company who made my handbike invited me to compete in races. I was well down the field and not that strong but I grew year after year. Then in 2008 I attended the Beijing Paralympics as part of a Dutch talent group. I was there to watch, not race, but from that moment I dreamt about competing at the 2012 London Paralympics. I made it to London and finished fourth in the H4 road race. After London, I began swimming more. I'd swum regularly since I was six, so it seemed logical to aim for Para triathlon at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, especially as it was making its debut." (220triathlon.com, 07 Sep 2023) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (220triathlon.com, 07 Sep 2023) Milestones: He is one of three triathletes [along with Martin Schulz of Germany and Allysa Seely of the United States of America] to have won two Paralympic gold medals in the sport following victories in their respective classes at the 2016 and 2020 Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) He became the first Dutch triathlete to win a gold medal in the sport at the Paralympic Games following his victory in the men's PT1 event at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Jul 2024) Awards: He and athletics competitor Fleur Jong were flag bearers for the Netherlands at the opening ceremony of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. (alamy.com, 25 Aug 2021) He was named the 2021 Para Triathlete of the Year by Europe Triathlon. (tri-today.com, 13 Mar 2022) He was named Para Athlete of the Year for 2017 and 2021 in the Netherlands. (tri-today.com, 13 Mar 2022; Facebook page, 30 May 2020) He was named Sportsman of the Year for 2013 and 2015 in Nieuwkoop, Netherlands. (omroepwest.nl, 03 Mar 2016; nieuwkoop.rtvlokaal.nl, 06 Mar 2014) Additional Info: MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE After claiming gold medals in Para triathlon and Para cycling at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, he began training for Para athletics wheelchair marathons with a view to potentially competing in all three sports at the 2024 Games in Paris. "I am someone who wants to exercise a lot and also wants it to be varied, and handcycling is ultimately limited. I swam a lot and then made the step to triathlon. But I kept looking for new challenges and that's how I ended up in wheelchair marathons. After winning gold in Tokyo, I just wasn't 100% motivated to go all in again for triathlon and handcycling because I'd already won almost everything. I have achieved everything I wanted to in handcycling and triathlon, but now [speaking in 2023] I also want to become the best in wheelchair racing. The plan for Paris isn't 100% sorted yet. It's definite that I'll aim for Para triathlon and Para cycling, but I might aim for the wheelchair marathon, too." (220triathlon.com, 07 Sep 2023; knwu.nl, 09 Aug 2023; rodi.nl, 28 Jun 2023; nyrr.org, 01 Mar 2023; jetzeplat.nl, 25 Sep 2022; UCI YouTube channel, 01 Sep 2021) COACHING He has enrolled in the leadership in coaching programme at the Johan Cruyff Institute in Amsterdam, Netherlands. "I had been thinking about doing this programme for about two or three years [speaking in 2024]. It's quite difficult to combine top-level sports with education alongside. But after my active sports career, I really want to help other people, and I think I still have a lot to learn. As an athlete, I've experienced a lot, especially how coaching towards myself works. And I've also helped some young talents myself. That's why I realised that I still wanted to have many more skills for that. So this was the perfect option for me." (johancruyffinstitute.com, 16 May 2024)