Swimmer. Coach. Mentor.
About Sharon.
Double Olympic champion.
Coach and mentor.
I’m Sharon van Rouwendaal, a double Olympic champion and three-time Olympic medallist in 10km open water swimming. My career has taken me to international podiums in both the pool and open water, including Olympic gold in Rio and Paris, and silver in Tokyo.
My story
The experience behind my coaching
From my own swimming
to your next step.
At thirteen, I left home to follow my dream. Years of training in different countries taught me how much swimming asks of you, physically and mentally. Philippe Lucas helped build my discipline and mental strength. With Bernd Berkhahn, I learned the value of structure, precision and attention to detail.
Through private lessons, masterclasses, camps and online coaching, I adapt my approach to your experience and goals. Helping someone leave the water with more confidence, understanding and enjoyment is what makes coaching so rewarding for me.
My philosophy
“Simple way
of swimming.”
Feel the water. Understand the movement.
Today, I share that experience through my coaching. I love helping swimmers understand their bodies and feel what happens in the water. We work on body position, rotation and balance, learning where to relax and where to create power.
My philosophy is simple: understand what you are doing, feel the movement and take a few clear cues into your next swim.
Sharing experience
Mentoring the
next generation.
Alongside my own coaching, I mentor the next generation of swimmers through my work with the Bayerischer Schwimmverband in Bavaria and the KNZB’s Dutch long-distance swimming programme. Using practical technique drills, I help swimmers develop body balance, coordination and a better connection in the water. I also share the lessons I learned about training, race preparation and mental resilience throughout my career.
In and around the water.
A career in pool & open water
Medals & milestones.
Three Olympic medals, from Rio to Tokyo and Paris. A journey that began in the pool and grew into a career in open water.
Rio 2016
Olympic gold · 10km open water
Tokyo 2020
Olympic silver · 10km open water
Games held in 2021Paris 2024
Olympic gold · 10km open water
View my international championship medals
Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and European Junior Championships. World titles include the 2014 short course 4×200m freestyle relay title.
- 2024
Olympic Games — Paris
Gold: 10km open water.
- 2024
World Championships — Doha
Gold: 5km and 10km open water.
- 2023
World Championships — Fukuoka
Silver: 5km open water.
- 2022
European Championships — Rome
Gold: 5km open water.
- 2022
World Championships — Budapest
Gold: 10km open water. Bronze: 25km open water.
- Tokyo 2020
Olympic Games — held in 2021
Silver: 10km open water.
- 2021
European Championships — Budapest
Gold: 5km and 10km open water.
- 2018
European Championships — Glasgow
Gold: 5km, 10km and 5km team relay. Silver: 25km open water.
- 2017
World Championships — Budapest
Silver: 25km open water.
- 2016
Olympic Games — Rio
Gold: 10km open water.
- 2016
European Open Water Championships — Hoorn
Bronze: 5km open water.
- 2015
European Short Course Championships — Netanya
Bronze: 800m freestyle.
- 2015
World Championships — Kazan
Silver: 10km open water, 5km team event and 400m freestyle.
- 2014
World Short Course Championships — Doha
Gold: 4×200m freestyle relay, in a world record at the time. Silver: 400m freestyle. Bronze: 800m freestyle.
- 2014
European Championships — Berlin
Gold: 10km open water and 5km team event. Silver: 5km open water and 400m freestyle.
- 2013
European Short Course Championships — Herning
Bronze: 800m freestyle.
- 2011
World Championships — Shanghai
Bronze: 200m backstroke.
- 2010
European Short Course Championships — Eindhoven
Silver: 100m and 200m backstroke.
- 2009
European Junior Championships — Prague
Gold: 400m freestyle. Bronze: 200m freestyle.
- 2008
European Junior Championships — Belgrade
Gold: 1500m freestyle. Silver: 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle.
Swim with me
Let’s work on
your swimming.
From a personal lesson to a week in Mallorca or ongoing online coaching, we start with your experience and your goals.