Athletic Background

Jochem started competitive swimming with ZV Wijchen, where he quickly discovered his strength in backstroke. His first major breakthrough came in 2023 when he qualified for the Gelderse Kampioenschappen (Provincial Championships) in both long and short course events. Realizing his potential, he transitioned to TZC Vahalis, where personalized coaching helped him make significant progress.

In 2024, Jochem’s hard work paid off as he began setting multiple personal bests and winning medals in backstroke events at the Gelderse Kampioenschappen. His strong performances led to qualification for the Dutch National Sprint Championships, where he competed in the 50m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, and 50m backstroke. Later that year, he reached a major milestone by breaking the 30-second barrier in the 50m backstroke, clocking an impressive 29.25 seconds at the Gelderse Kampioenschappen short course.

Currently, he is focused on qualifying for the Gelderse Kampioenschappen long course in May and working towards securing a place at the Dutch National Championships by the end of the season. 

His PB’s (SCM) are:  

• 50m Freestyle: 25.98
• 100m Freestyle: 56.44
• 200m Freestyle: 2:04.99
• 50m Backstroke: 29.25
• 100m Backstroke: 1:03.53
• 200m Backstroke: 2:21.30

Strengths

Jochem is known for his resilience and work ethic. After overcoming injuries, he has demonstrated an ability to push through adversity and stay focused on his goals. Even during tough training periods, he remains committed to improving his performance. His mental toughness allows him to push through fatigue and challenges, ensuring that he consistently performs at his best. He has developed strong race execution skills, maintaining speed and control under pressure, while his determination drives him to constantly refine his technique and race strategy.

Goals

Jochem is focusing on improving his freestyle and backstroke efficiency, particularly in longer races. He mainly wants to focus on enhancing his sprint technique for the 50m freestyle and backstroke, ensuring a more explosive stroke, refining his underwater phase and turns to maximize speed off the wall, and improving endurance on the 200m distances by maintaining a consistent stroke rhythm and efficient breathing throughout the race.

To address these areas, he is incorporating specialized start and turn drills to improve reaction time and explosiveness. Sprint-focused training is helping him develop higher stroke rates without losing power, while long-distance sets with negative splits are building endurance and refining his race pacing.

During his time in a U.S. collegiate program, he hopes to develop his freestyle and backstroke technique for both sprint and mid-distance events while training in a high-performance environment that pushes him to new limits. Beyond college, his ultimate goal is to establish himself as a top backstroke and freestyle swimmer in the Netherlands. He is determined to consistently qualify for national championships and continue improving his speed, endurance, and technique to extend his career at an elite level.