Dutch Swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal Dedicates Olympic Gold To Her Late Dog, Internet In Tears

A video showcasing Dutch swimmer Sharon van Rouwendaal dedicating her Olympic gold medal to her dog has left the internet with teary eyes. The 30-year-old athlete cast aside her concerns about swimming in the Seine to notch a gold in the women’s 10km marathon of the Paris Games. Following her victory, it was revealed that the Dutch swimmer gave the event her all for her late dog, Rio. After winning the event, Rouwendaal came out of the water before pointing and kissing the tattoo of her dog on her wrist. A page dedicated to dogs named WeRateDogs shared a clip of her celebration and her interview on Instagram. “Sharon van Rouwendaal of the Netherlands braved a 10,000-metre race in the Seine to take home the gold medal,” the caption read.

Sharon van Rouwendaal’s dog Rio, a Pomeranian named after the swimmer’s last Olympic Gold in Brazil, passed away in May. The dog lost its life due to complications after lung surgery. Speaking about the Olympic journey in Paris, Rouwendaal said, “He was my everything. My world stopped when he died. I didn’t want to swim, actually, for three weeks… Then my dad said, ‘You have to do it for him,’… and I wanted to swim one more Olympics for him.” The heartwarming words from the Dutch swimmer led to the interviewer giving the swimmer a tight hug.

Touched by the emotional words from Sharon van Rouwendaal, many fans flocked to the comments section to pour their reactions. One of them wrote, “Relatable! My pups are also tattooed on me, they’re a constant reminder to keep going for them.” Another added, “I’m not crying. You’re crying!!!!”. One netizen voiced that Rouwendaal deserved an even higher score for her gesture. “She is awesome. She deserves a 14/10 as well. Also, who is chopping onions?” he wrote. Another jokingly said, “He now has the bestest momma bragging rights in doggy heaven.” “When Instagram makes me cry at work and then my boss shows up and I have to act like I’m just really emotional about my passion for customer service,” someone noted

Sharon van Rouwendaal slapped the finishing pad in Paris in 2 hours and 3.34 seconds. This was Rouwendaal’s first gold medal at the Olympics since Rio 2016 as he only managed a silver in Tokyo, three years ago. Australia’s Moesha Johnson slogged to a silver finish with a time of 2:03:39.7. Italy’s Ginevra Taddeucci followed them in third place, recording a time of 2:03:42.8.