Niels Kerstholt
Niels Kerstholt ( born April 2, 1983 in Utrecht) is a Dutch Shorttracker.
Kerstholt was already seventeen years old in 2000 Dutch Junior B champions. Over the next three years at his national championships, however, did not succeed in Top 5 ranking, but he started in January 2002 at the Junior World Championships in Chuncheon and moved over 1500 meter race at the semi-finals before, where he however failed fifth. In November of the same year he was first used in short track speed skating World Cup in season 2002/ 03 he managed in the relay finals a total and thus a fourth. The major events that season Kerstholt get no outstanding results. While he never fulfilled in the season 2003/ 04 in the World Cup on the prelims, he succeeded in the relay at the European Championships, the fourth rank.
Even the World Cup 2004/ 05 ended like the previous without finals, but Kerstholt won at the 2005 European Championships silver medal in the relay. Also at the European Championship 2006, he again showed high performance culture. Kerstholt he was nominated as one of three Dutch Short trackers for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Firstly, he should start only on the 1000 - meter distance, for which he had qualified, but was allowed to show as the Dutch team also over 1500 meters a starter, he was also used here. While his race was over on the actual distance after a disqualification in the lead, he was able to over 1500 meters at least reach the B-final and win there fifth to eleventh place.
Shortly after the Olympics won Kerstholt for the first time at the Dutch Championship in the adult area before Cees Juffermans. In the World Cup 2006/ 07 he managed a fourth place finish at the home race in Heerenveen, but there lacked many world-class athletes. About 1000 meters he reached although not a top 5 ranking, but was nevertheless discipline World Cup Fourth, since it constant for all the race went to the start. He also was sixth overall at the European Championships in 2007, both in individual and team competition. At the World Cup he scored no good results, but he defended his Dutch title. Also in the 2007/ 08 season managed Kerstholt some top 10 results in the World Cup, also he succeeded the silver medal at the 2008 European Championships in Ventspils behind the Latvians Harald Silovs. This Kerstholt had especially gathered with his victory over 1000 meters distance points for the overall standings. The World Cup ended, however, again with a poorer outcome.
With another eighth, this time over 500 meters, Kerstholt launched in the short track speed skating World Cup 2008/ 09, after he had once again defended his title at the national championship at the end of the previous season.
Kerstholt occupied at the Olympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi with the season in fourth place. In the 2014 World Cup, he was in Montreal with the 5000 m relay world champion.