Dutch Swimmer Dedicates Olympic Gold To Late Pet Dog

Sharon van Rouwendaal from Netherlands won the 10km marathon swim at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Thursday, August 8. She dedicates the win to her beloved pet dog, Rio, who passed away in May of this year.

Rouwendaal’s Pomeranian dog, Rio, was named after the 2016 Rio Olympics, where the Dutch swimmer first won her Olympic Gold at the 10km marathon swim.

We Rate Dogs revealed that Rio passed away due to complications from a lung surgery.

On May 7, Rouwendaal wrote a heartfelt message for Rio on Instagram, saying, “Today I need to say goodbye to my little man who has given me the best feeling in the world, better than any medal I ever won, better than any swimming moment I have ever experienced.“

The Olympic champion said that her pet dog is the most important thing in her life. She even revealed that she bought a house for her and Rio to live in right after the 2024 Paris Olympics.

So, when the pooch passed away, Rouwendaal tells EuroSport that her “world stopped” and she “didn’t want to swim”.

But Rouwendaal’s father told her to continue swimming and to “do it for him [Rio]”. She added, “And I wanted to swim one more Olympics for him.”

Talking to We Rate Dogs, Rouwendaal said she got a paw tattoo in honor of Rio. “So I had a tattoo three days after the cremation and I said, ‘Let’s try it and I will swim for him with my whole heart’ — and I did it — I won for him.’”

After winning gold at 2024 Paris Olympics, Rouwendaal emerged from the Seine, crying while pointing at and kissing at the paw tattoo on her wrist.

Rouwendaal has won three consecutive Olympic medals in the 10km marathon swim event. She won gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics, silver in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and gold again in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

And with Rouwendaal’s recent 2024 Paris Olympic win, she becomes the first female marathon swimmer to win gold at multiple Olympics, Eurosport reveals.

The Olympics also reveals that Rouwendaal is the first athlete ever in marathon swimming to win three medals in the said discipline.