233:. However, this was still not enough for Van Commenee and he branded her "a wimp" for not managing to finish in second place. Later on, he expressed regret over the timing of the comment but Sotherton stood by her coach regardless, stating: "People always go on about that quote, but they have to remember that Charles was the one who got me in the position to be an Olympic medallist...I don't think any other coach could have got me to where he did."
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183:"His virtues are two-fold really. As a person he's actually much more sensitive than people might believe. And as a coach, he is driven. Athletes, not least me, would really just love to go our merry way. He doesn't let you. We've had a lot of difficulties in the three years we've been together and he gets you right at the right time. My self-discipline is down to him."
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In 2004 the position of performance director became available at UK Athletics. Van
Commenee was considered for the job but ultimately decided to leave the UK in favour of becoming technical director of the Netherlands athletics team. After a successful period in the Netherlands, where he took them to
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she took the gold in the heptathlon, becoming the first of Van
Commenee's charges to win an Olympic gold medal. However, her victory was not easily forthcoming; during the Olympic events Van Commenee was critical of her performances, urging her ever more to try harder. Despite the fact that Lewis was
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she took the silver medal. Though this was a significant achievement for the veteran athlete, Van
Commenee said that he was as much a personal mentor for Huang as he was a coach. She had moved away from home to attend a sports institute at the age of twelve and had not experienced life outside of the
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could not attend the meeting and Van
Commenee was asked to help her through the event. Impressed with his work, Lewis moved to Amsterdam to train with Van Commenee in 1997. The pairing was fruitful for both athlete and coach; under the supervision of Van Commenee, Lewis went on become heptathlon
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coach. He began his professional career as a technical director with the Dutch athletics federation before moving to take up a similar role for the
British athletics team in 2001. After a term as Performance Director for the Dutch Olympic Committee, he served as Head Coach of
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at the
Olympics and although the shot putter was ranked 23rd in the world she managed to finish ninth in the competition. In recognition of his achievements, he was named as the 2000
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was self-funded and he took
Jaklofsky out of the Dutch camp for training every day. She reached the finals of the competition but faulted three times, failing to record a mark.
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The coach showed his stubborn and determined temperament when in 1996 he withdrew from managing the Dutch
Olympic team because he felt that one of his trainees,
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centre. Van
Commenee had helped her adapt to living on her own and supporting herself, at the same time as he helped her to a World Championship medal.
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suffering injuries, she managed to win the event. She put much of her success and drive to win down to the fact that Van
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to join his training group and she agreed. Although she was ranked 57th in the world for the heptathlon, she won the bronze medal at the
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Van Commenee also worked with less prominent athletes, helping them improve their performances through sheer hard work—he coached
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as the technical director for the jumps and combined events. As director he took on responsibilities for British athletes including
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Van Commenee first became involved in coaching at the age of eighteen; he began teaching children while studying for a degree in
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by the Dutch athletics federation. He took on other coaching responsibilities, including a brief stay in China where he met
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Charles van Commenee stepped down as UK Athletics head coach after the team failed to meet his medal target at the
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in 1981, he dedicated himself to coaching full-time and in 1987 he was appointed as the coach for the Dutch
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from 2008 to 2012. Additionally, he has personally coached athletes to international medals, including
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UK Athletics coach Charles van Commenee would 'welcome back' Dwain Chambers
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The Interview: Charles van Commenee; The Dutch master, the mind games
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Lewis called him `The Volcano', but even the eruptions are scrupulous
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at club level, but several injuries forced him to give up the sport.
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86:. As a young man he was interested in athletics, competing in the
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Golden prospect: Van's the man to get Britain back on track
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Dutch Olympic team chief looks to top 10 finish in Beijing
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their second-highest ever Olympic medal tally at the
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Dutch expatriate sportspeople in the United Kingdom
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408:. Topsport Amsterdam. Retrieved on 2009-02-25.
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153:in 1994 at an athletics meeting in
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78:Eurasian heritage). He grew up in
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434:Van Commenee named UKA head coach
70:Charles van Commenee was born in
41:, (born 22 June 1958) is a Dutch
418:Collins named UK Athletics chief
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155:Valladolid
147:heptathlon
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525:The Times
484:Interview
455:BBC Sport
438:BBC Sport
422:BBC Sport
353:Xinhuanet
174:. At the
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115:shot put
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