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|
| Pepijn
SMITS |
| Sport |
Open Water Swimming |
| NOC |
Netherlands
|
| Gender | Men |
| Born | 09 Dec 1996
| | Height | 1.91 m |
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Further Personal Information |
Higher education |
Law - Tilburg University: Netherlands |
General Interest |
Injuries |
He sustained a shoulder injury in 2008. (pepijnsmits.nl, 11 Jun 2019) |
Memorable sporting achievement |
Winning a gold medal in the 5km mixed team relay at the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. (Instagram profile, 23 Apr 2021; pepijnsmits.nl, 11 Jun 2019) |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
"My mother was the head coach of the Dommelbaarzen swimming club in Vught [Netherlands]. I came into contact with water early on." |
Further Personal Information |
Occupation |
Student |
Languages |
Dutch, English, Spanish |
General Interest |
Other information |
RETIREMENT
He announced his retirement from the sport in April 2021. "After having enjoyed swimming for many years, I have decided to fully focus on my master's degree in law and the next steps for my career in the legal profession. I get a lot of pleasure and motivation from that. I look back with great pride on my sporting career, in which the absolute highlight was the European title in 2018." (Instagram profile, 23 Apr 2021; pepijnsmits.nl, 27 Jul 2021)
GLUTEN-FREE DIET
He only eats gluten-free products out of necessity. "When I was four years old I became very sick. After many hospital visits, I finally found I had coeliac disease. This means that my body cannot withstand gluten. That is why I started following a gluten-free diet the day after my fifth birthday." He was also diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 2010. (pepijnsmits.nl, 11 Jun 2019) |
Other sports |
He has competed in swimming at national level in the Netherlands, winning gold in the 1500m freestyle event at the 2016 National Championships in Eindhoven. (SportsDeskOnline, 28 Oct 2020) |
European Championships |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| |
2018 |
Glasgow, SCO |
800m Freestyle |
|
World Championships |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 21 |
2019 |
Gwangju, KOR |
5km |
53:42.4 |
| 7 |
2019 |
Gwangju, KOR |
5km - Team Relay |
54:37.2 |
European Championships |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 13 |
2018 |
Glasgow, SCO |
10km |
1:49:52.3 |
| 8 |
2018 |
Glasgow, SCO |
25km |
5:00:15.5 |
| 6 |
2018 |
Glasgow, SCO |
5km |
52:59.1 |
| 1 |
2018 |
Glasgow, SCO |
5km - Team Relay |
52:35.0 |
| 16 |
2016 |
Hoorn, NED |
10km |
1:55:29.8 |
| 15 |
2016 |
Hoorn, NED |
5km |
57:01.2 |
| 8 |
2016 |
Hoorn, NED |
5km - Team Time Trial |
1:02:42.9 |
World Series |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 60 |
2021 |
|
10km |
|
| 26 |
2021 |
Doha, QAT |
10km |
1:52:46.2 |
| |
2020 |
|
10km |
|
| 21 |
2020 |
Doha, QAT |
10km |
1:50:08.1 |
| 35 |
2019 |
|
10km |
|
| 22 |
2019 |
Beau Vallon, SEY |
10km |
1:57:43.50 |
| 7 |
2019 |
Qiandaohu, CHN |
10km |
1:56:27.20 |
| 24 |
2018 |
|
10km |
|
| 23 |
2018 |
Abu Dhabi, UAE |
10km |
1:53:42.4 |
| 15 |
2018 |
Beau Vallon, SEY |
10km |
1:49:52.60 |
| 23 |
2018 |
Doha, QAT |
10km |
1:53:15.3 |
| 7 |
2018 |
Setúbal, POR |
10km |
1:56:41.46 |
| 27 |
2017 |
|
10km |
|
| 14 |
2017 |
Abu Dhabi, UAE |
10km |
1:46:07.8 |
| 15 |
2017 |
Hong Kong, CHN |
10km |
1:53:27.5 |
| 11 |
2017 |
Qiandaohu, CHN |
10km |
1:31:59.3 |
| 10 |
2017 |
Setúbal, POR |
10km |
1:30:08.98 |
| 47 |
2016 |
Abu Dhabi, UAE |
10km |
1:49:57.50 |
| 6 |
2016 |
Lac St. Jean, QC, CAN |
10km |
1:57.32 |
| 19 |
2015 |
Hong Kong, CHN |
10km |
1:56:30.0 |
| 11 |
2015 |
Qiandaohu, CHN |
10km |
1:53:20 |
| |
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