Renate Groenewold

Who is Renate Groenewold?

Renate Groenewold is a former Dutch long track speed skater and road bicycle racer.

Groenewold has won several Dutch Championships. In 1999, 2002 and 2003 she won the Dutch allround championship. On the European Allround Championships she has won various medals. Five times she came in third in the overall ranking. In 2005 she won the silver medal which was her best result at the European Championships. In 2001 she also came in third in the overall ranking on the World Allround Championships, which she won in 2004.

Besides participating in the allround championships Groenewold has participated in the championships for individual distances. Her best results there were winning the team pursuit in 2008 and the 3000 meters in 2009.

In 2002 Groenewold participated at the 2002 Winter Olympics. She won the silver medal in the 3000 m. Motivated by this success Groenewold was looking forward to the 1500 m but to her bitter disappointment she fell in the second turn. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, rookie compatriot Ireen Wüst beat her to the gold on the 3000 m, leaving Groenewold with silver once more.

In 2007, Groenewold joined Team DSB Bank, which was a women's professional cycling team that competed in international and UCI Women's Road World Cup events. In 2010, Groenewold competed again at the 2010 Winter Olympics, in Vancouver. She was listed as one of lesbian athletes at the Games, even though she never publicly came out and even denied she was a lesbian. She retired from speed skating later that year.