King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima have shared their congratulations for Dutch athletes on social media at the close of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, Princess Catharina Amalia and Princess Alexia were in Paris for the first week of the 2024 Games and were able to see several historic medals won for the Netherlands.
While the family was not able to return to Paris, they have been celebrating Dutch triumphs on social media.
As the Olympics drew to a close with the Closing Ceremony in the Stade de France, the Dutch Royal Family have shared that they will be welcoming all of the Dutch Olympic medallists to a reception at Palace Huis ten Bosch.
Among them will be the star who was presented with the final gold of Paris 2024. Runner Sifan Hassan won the women’s marathon competition for the Netherlands with a time of 2:22.55. Her marathon gold medal is in addition to her two bronze medals in the women’s 5,000 metre and 10,000 metre races. Sifan Hassan received her gold during the closing ceremony with the world watching as the national anthem of the Netherlands was played.
King Willem-Alexander also shared praise for Hassan on Instagram, with a heartfelt message, saying ”In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, Sifan Hassan dared to dream big and tackle a unique challenge. Starting both the 5 km and the 10 km and finishing with the Olympic marathon. What a phenomenal end to her Olympic dream with a final sprint to the marathon gold medal. We congratulate her with this gold medal with a lot of pride!”
