Simon Vroemen (centre) sprints home in Munich (© Getty Images)
The Netherlands’ Simon Vroemen, who is the joint European recordholder for the men's 3000m Steeplechase (8:06.91) with France’s Bouabdallah Tahri who equalled the Dutchman’s 2002 clocking last summer, believes that his hard work over the winter and spring months should set him up for Olympic success.
Vroemen and his coaching team of Helmut Stechemesser and Bram Wassenaar have been focusing on how to nudge closer to the eight-minute mark, and thereby become a serious medal threat for the Athens Games. The Dutchman was 12th in the last Olympic Games in Sydney.
Albuquerque altitude
“It is a lot of sweat, and no glory at all,” said Vroemen, the 2002 European Championship silver medallist, on his personal website, www.simonvroemen.nl.
“The glory must come this summer! The news is, I will go on training camp with my girlfriend Adrienne, to the United States. We will go to New Mexico, Albuquerque, on April 12, and stay there until May 8.”
“Albuquerque is at an altitude of some 1800-2000m, which is exactly what I need to get in shape for the racing season. We have been to the same place last year, and have made a lot of friends there. Therefore, it will be great to go back there.”
European record surprise
Vroemen's European record time of 8:06.91 which was set at the 2002 Monaco Golden League meeting (19 July) was one of the big surprises of that summer season. His previous personal best had been 8:13:45 (2000), and his season’s quickest prior to the record run had been a lowly 8:20:30.
His 8:06 mark still ranks as the quickest ever by a European, though France’s 25 year-old Bouabdallah Tahri equalled the time when finishing third at the Paris Golden League meeting last summer.
Promising 2003 season
Although Vroemen turns 35 on 11 May, age seems to be no barrier as he enjoyed a successful 2003 season, finishing seventh in the World Championship final and winning the Dutch national title for the fifth successive year.
His 2003 season’s best was 8:09.18, his second quickest time ever, which he established when finishing third in the Brussels Golden League meeting.
