A car accident when Kjeld Nuis was thirteen years old almost forced him to stop pursuing his speed skating career, a pivotal moment he later recalled in a documentary about his journey to the 2026 Winter Olympics.
NOS Schaatsen, a Dutch news outlet, reported on Nuis’s story.
Kjeld Nuis, now 36 and a three-time Olympic champion, grew up in Leiden and trained in The Hague during his youth. The accident occurred when he was a passenger in a car driven by the mother of a skating clubmate. The vehicle collided with a traffic jam, and Nuis, who was sitting in the back without a seatbelt, hit his head against the metal side door. He sustained serious injuries, including a fractured eye socket in three places, a broken cheekbone, a deep cut from his scalp to his nose, and a severe concussion. The incident left him with limited memory of the accident itself.
Nuis was hospitalized and closely monitored for brain bleeding overnight, an experience his parents described as distressing and unforgettable. Due to his injuries, Nuis was unable to train for a full year, which led to him losing his place in the regional selection team. The Dutch skating federation withdrew their support, requiring him to return to his local club and give up his equipment.
During this challenging period, Nuis and his father had a crucial conversation about his future ambitions. Despite the setbacks and the temptation to quit, Nuis affirmed his determination to continue seeking success in speed skating. His father helped him with training plans, even though he did not have personal experience in the sport. A year after the accident, wearing a borrowed and unimpressive skating suit, Nuis competed in the national championships and outperformed the regional selection skaters, earning his invitation back to the junior regional team. Nuis remains proud of this achievement as a key milestone in his recovery and athletic career.
The documentary ‘Kjeld Nuis: Missie Milaan,’ which follows Nuis over the year leading up to the Winter Olympics starting on February 7, features this episode and will be broadcast on NPO 3 on Friday evening at 20:25. In Milan, Nuis is scheduled to compete in the 1,000 and 1,500 meter events on February 11 and 19, respectively.
