Dean van Kooij
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 December 2002 Nijmegen, Netherlands |
| Sport | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Sport | Para-snowboarding |
| Disability class | SB-UL |
Event(s) | Snowboard cross, Banked slalom |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Paralympic finals | Milan-Cortina 2026 |
Dean van Kooij (born 19 December 2002) is a Dutch para-snowboarder. He represented the Netherlands at the 2026 Winter Paralympics.
Biography
Early life
Van Kooij was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands.[1] In 2017 he moved with his family to Pichilemu in Chile, where he spent two years surfing and skateboarding while following online education from the Netherlands.[2][3]
In 2019, shortly after returning to the Netherlands, he was hit by a car while cycling near his home. The accident caused severe injuries and left his left arm paralysed after several nerves in his neck were damaged.[2][4]
After weeks in hospital and a long rehabilitation period, Van Kooij looked for a new sport. During a Paralympic talent day at the National Sports Centre Papendal he discovered para-snowboarding, a sport that suited him because of his background in surfing and other board sports.[5][3][4]
Career
Van Kooij began competing in para-snowboarding in 2021 and quickly showed potential, winning his first competition shortly after starting the sport.[5]
He later began competing internationally in snowboard cross and banked slalom events in the SB-UL classification. At the 2023 World Championships in La Molina, Spain, he finished sixth in the dual banked slalom and tenth in snowboard cross.[1]
Van Kooij qualified for the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. At his Paralympic debut he finished fifth in the men's snowboard cross SB-UL event and eighth in the banked slalom event.[1][6]
Results
Paralympic Games
| Year | Venue | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Italy Cortina d'Ampezzo | 5th Snowboard cross SB-UL 8th Banked slalom SB-UL |
World Championships
| Year | Venue | Results |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Norway Lillehammer | 11th Banked slalom SB-UL |
| 2023 | Spain La Molina | 6th Dual banked slalom SB-UL 10th Snowboard cross SB-UL |
| 2025 | Canada Big White | 11th Banked slalom SB-UL 12th Snowboard cross SB-UL |
References
- ^ a b c "Dean van KOOIJ". Olympics.com. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Marinus, Mitch (9 March 2026). "De surfer die moest gaan snowboarden: 'Ik wilde nog voor die auto langs'". NU.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Wubben, Robin (2 March 2026). "Nijmegenaar Dean van Kooij (24) werd geschept door een auto, nu staat hij als snowboarder op de Paralympische Spelen". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Yanik, Reenike (4 March 2026). "Hoe een auto-ongeluk Deans leven veranderde en hem naar de Paralympische Spelen bracht". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ a b Schoonderwoert, Richard (8 March 2026). "Van strand naar sneeuw: hoe Dean van Kooij na zijn ongeluk een nieuwe passie vond". TeamNL (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 March 2026.
- ^ "Parasnowboarder Van Kooij redelijk tevreden na kwalificatie". NOS (in Dutch). 7 March 2026. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
External links
- Dean van Kooij at TeamNL (in Dutch)