Indian-origin Dutch ice skater Anice Das qualifies for the 2018 Winter Olympics

Anice Das
Anice Das

What's the story?

Dutch speed skater Anice Das, who is of Indian origin, sealed her berth for the upcoming Winter Olympics, which will be held in South Korea in February later this year.

Das secured her place at the Olympic Games for the first time in late December, after defying the odds to qualify in the Dutch qualification trials.

In case you didn't know...

She also has a twin sister and both of them were born in Mumbai. Then, at the age of eight months old, they were adopted by a Dutch couple and shifted to the Netherlands.

She took up skating as an 8-year-old when she was in a primary school in Assen and joined a skating club many years later and then started taking part in competitions. By the age of 14 or 15, she was taking part in junior championships.

The heart of the matter

The 32-year-old had always been a fringe skater up until the qualification of Pyeongchang Olympics. But finally, in 2017 Dutch championships, she came third in the 500m single distance race and second in sprint overall. She capped off what was an amazing year for her with achieving the qualification for the South Korea Olympics beating many favourites.

She also stated that she is currently focusing on her training for the Games and will look to share the story of her birth and look for her biological parents after the quadrennial event.

What's next?

The Olympics are set to begin on February 9 and will run until the 25th of the same month.

Author's take

It is a great moment for Das who has worked hard all her life and she deserves every bit of the praise. Here's hoping she has a successful run at the Games and also meets her family in India afterwards!

Quick Links