Well-known Australian Canoeing player Jean vd Westhuyzen is in the Paris Olympics 2024. When he set out to try kayaking as a school sport around 2007, Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Jean van der Westhuyzen did not see himself as a future Olympic champion. He didn’t even know paddling was an Olympic sport.
Young Australian paddlers Tom Green and Jean van der Westhuyzen stunned their more seasoned rivals to win Olympic gold in the K2 1000-meter canoe sprint.
When was Jean Vd Westhuyzen born? His Age, Early Life
Well-known Australian athlete Jean vd Westhuyzen who is 25 years old was born on 9 December 1998 in Cape Town, Western He was educated at Michael’s house, Ballgown, KwaZulu Natal.
Growing up in Cape Town South Africa, a young Jean van der Westhuyzen watched his Australian sporting heroes, Ken Wallace and Murray Stewart on television.
He moved to Australia to pursue his dreams of becoming a canoe sprint Olympian and trained alongside those very same role models
Jean started as a marathon and sprint paddler, but since moving to Australia his focus firmly shifted to sprint racing.
Westhuyzen full name is Jean van der Westhuyzen he used his full name in his first Olympic game.
As a boy, van der Westhuyzen would stay up until the early hours of the morning in his hometown of Franschhoek, just outside Cape Town, to watch Wallace, Stewart, and other Australians compete.
Jean vd Westhuyzen started his sporting career
Growing up in Cape Town South Africa, a young Jean van der Westhuyzen watched his Australian sporting heroes, Ken Wallace and Murray Stewart on television.
“I played rugby, cricket, hockey, and all the standard school sports,” “Kayaking was also an option and I thought it looked pretty cool. It was something a little bit different, so I gave it a go and really loved Van der Westhuyzen “
Jean Says
He moved to Australia to pursue his dreams of becoming a canoe sprint Olympian and trained alongside those very same role models.
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Jean started as a marathon and sprint paddler, but since moving to Australia his focus firmly shifted to sprint racing.
In 2016, he claimed gold in the K1 1000 meters at the Junior Canoe Marathon World Championships, becoming the first South African male to win a medal at this level.
Representing Australia, he partnered with Riley Fitzsimmons, Tom Green, and Jackson Collins to win the K4 500 at the U23 World Championships.
He also won a silver medal in the K2 1000m at the Under 23 World Championships, together with Collins.
Jean made his first senior national team in 2019 and finished 10th in the K1 1000 at the 2019 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
Jean vd Westhuyzen and his professional career
In 2020, Jean and Tom won the K2 1000 in the first Olympic selection event. The pair won in an impressive time of 3mins, 12.27sec, which was 1.74sec ahead of London Olympic Champion Stewart and Rio Olympic medallist Lachlan Tame.
At the 2020 Australian Canoe Sprint Championships and second Olympic selection event, Jean finished second to Tom in the K1 1000 and K1 500.
The then 21-year-old joined forces with Tom to race the K2 1000 and the pair finished second behind Riley Fitzsimmons and Jordan Wood.
This set up Jean for an Olympic debut at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, competing in the K1 1000m and K2 1000m disciplines.
In the individual K1 1000m event, Jean narrowly missed out on automatic qualification for the semi-finals, coming third in his opening heat with a time of 3:46.186. In the following quarter-final stage, blitzing past his competition to finish first with a time of 3:46.104.
Jean would, unfortunately, fall short of medal contention in the semi-finals. He came last in a competitive group and earned himself a place in the B Final. He recorded a best individual time of 3:26.287 in the finals, earning 13th overall place in the K1 1000m.
Competing alongside fellow Australian Tom Green in the K2 1000m, the pair would show their ambition in their opening heat to finish first with an impressive time of 3:08.773 earning, them an automatic spot in the semi-finals.
The pair would continue their dominance, finishing their semi-final once again in first place with a time of 3:17.077, the fastest of any pair in the event.
The Aussie boys performed when it mattered most in winning the final with a time of 3:15.280, earning Jean his first Olympic gold medal in his debut Olympic Games.
Who is Jean van der Westhuyzen Wife?
Jean van der Westhuyzen is happily married to his best friend Jamie van der Westhuyzen. The couple frequently shares pictures of each other on social media. They got engaged on December 5, 2022, and later tied the knot on September 18, 2023.
Jean posted a photograph from their wedding day on his Instagram account, showing him kissing his wife Jamie van der Westhuyzen.
Jean Olympic Results
Tokyo 2020
Canoe Sprint Men’s Kayak Single (MK1) 1000m
| Men’s Kayak Single 1000m Final B | 3:26.9553rd |
| Men’s Kayak Single 1000m Semi-final 2 | 3:28.2878th |
| Men’s Kayak Single 1000m Quarterfinal 3 | 3:46.1041st |
| Men’s Kayak Single 1000m Heat 3 | 3:46.1863rd |
Men’s Canoe Sprint K-2 1000m1
| Men’s Kayak Double 1000m Heat 1 | 3:08.7731st |
| Men’s Kayak Double 1000m Final A | 3:15.2801st |
| Men’s Kayak Double 1000m Semi-final 1 | 3:17.0771st |
