Diane Valkenburg

Diane Valkenburg ( born August 30, 1984 in Bergschenhoek ) is a Dutch speed skater.

Diane Valkenburg starts since the 2007 /08 season in the World Cup. Her first race was over 1500 meters in Salt Lake City, where she was 15. In her third race, a 3000 - meter race in Calgary, she finished ninth and reached for the first time a ranking among the top ten. In 2007, she also won the Dutch championship of juniors in the small four-way battle. In the championship of the elderly, she won the bronze medal over 1500 meters and 3000 meters, she was behind Gretha Smit Vice-Champion.

On December 9, 2007, she won her first World Cup in the team pursuit. In the following years more World Cup wins are added in the team pursuit. Their first World Cup podium finish in a single discipline she reached on 14 November 2008. During the World Cup race in Heerenveen, she took over 3000 m in third place.

Valkenburg has participated in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver for the Netherlands. She has attended over 3000 m eleventh place and in the team pursuit 6th place at the World Cup 2011 in Inzell she finished second over 1500 meters and the team pursuit.

In 2012 she was at the Individual World Championships in Heerenveen for the first time world champion. She won jointly with Ireen Wüst and Linda de Vries in the team pursuit.

2013 she won silver in the small four-way battle for the all-around World Cup in Hamar.

Valkenburg lives in Rotterdam and studied sports at the Free University of Amsterdam.