At the World Aquatics Championships in Doha in early February, our own student-athlete Else Praasterink had to reach the top 12 on the 10-meter platform to secure qualification for the Olympic Games. And guess what… she did it! With 271.10 points and an eleventh-place finish, the Olympic ticket was secured, fulfilling a big dream for Else.
For years, Else’s biggest goal has been to reach the Olympic Games. To make that dream a reality, she decided that studying and diving in America should be the springboard (both literally and figuratively) for that ticket. In 2020, she departed for the University of Louisville to pursue not only her sport but also to earn a bachelor’s degree alongside it.
Over the years, Else has already accumulated quite a few achievements to her CV. In her debut season with the Cardinals, she qualified for the NCAA Championships, where she finished 30th. In that same year, Else secured the eighth position at the ACC Championships from the ten-meter platform.
A year later, she experienced her significant (international) breakthrough. In America, Else achieved impressive scores during the competitions. Making her debut at the World Championships, she impressively finished 11th. In the eyes of Louisville, she became an absolute ‘star student,’ earning an honorable mention in the University of Louisville Honor Roll and the ACC Academic Honor.
In 2023, Else broke the school record again on the ten-meter platform and once more qualified for the World Championships (finishing 19th) while also securing a 7th-place finish during the European Games in Krakow.
With the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris this summer, we are convinced that the absolute highlight of Else’s career is yet to come. Mark it in your calendar because Else will be in action on Monday, August 5, and hopefully, Tuesday, August 6, at the Paris Aquatic Centre. She will thus become the second Slamstox student-athlete after Nyls Korstanje to compete in the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.
Do you dream, like Else, of combining your sports career with studying in America and possibly reaching the Olympic Games? Feel free to contact us without obligation, and we will be happy to assist you further.
