Rens Blom

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Rens Blom bigraphy, stories - Dutch pole vaulter

Rens Blom : biography

1 March 1977 –

Rens Blom (born March 1, 1977) is a former Dutch athlete competing in pole vault.

Blom was born in Munstergeleen. He achieved a vault of 5.75 as early as in 2000, but five years passed without much further progress. However, on June 8, 2004, in Zaragoza, he set the current Dutch record with 5.81. In 2005, he consolidated his poisition by clearing 5.80 early in May.

At the 2005 World Championships in Athletics, he once again achieved 5.80 and won the gold medal. It was the first Dutch gold medal at a World Championship. In addition, Blom has won five national championships and four national indoor championships.

The year 2006 turned out to be a frustrating year for Blom, full of bad luck and injuries. Problems with his shoulder, knees and Achilles tendons resulting in an operation caused 2006 to become a "lost" year for the passionate Dutchman. Finally, in mid-October, he cautiously resumed his training programme, and achieved better results in several indoor events at the start of 2007.

Blom is a two-time Olympian. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney he did not survive the qualification round. Four years later during the 2004 Summer Olympics, he ended up on the 9th place.

At a press conference in Sittard on September 26, 2008, Blom announced his retirement from the sport, feeling that, after various injuries and operations, his body no longer allowed him to strain it to the utmost. During his career Rens Blom collected six Dutch indoor and seven Dutch outdoor titles altogether.

External references

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch pole vaulters Category:Olympic athletes of the Netherlands Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:People from Sittard-Geleen Category:World Championships in Athletics medalists

Competition record

Representing
1995 European Junior Championships Nyíregyháza, Hungary NM
2000 European Indoor Championships Ghent, Belgium 3rd 5.60 m
Olympic Games Sydney, Australia 15th (q) 5.65 m
2001 World Championships Edmonton, Canada 13th NM
2002 European Championships Munich, Germany 22nd (q) 5.25 m
2003 World Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 3rd 5.75 m (iNR)
World Championships Paris, France 14th (q) 5.60 m
2004 World Indoor Championships Budapest, Hungary 8th NM
Olympic Games Athens, Greece 9th 5.65 m
2005 World Championships Helsinki, Finland 1st 5.80 m
2007 European Indoor Championships Birmingham, United Kingdom 9th (q) 5.65 m