Editing Rotterdam (section)

==Sports==
Rotterdam calls itself ''Sportstad'' (City of Sports). The city annually organises several world-renowned sporting events. Some examples are the [[Rotterdam Marathon]], the [[World Port Tournament]], and the [[Rotterdam Open|Rotterdam World Tennis Tournament]]. Rotterdam has also hosted a race of the [[Red Bull Air Race World Championship]] and the car racing event [[Monaco aan de Maas]] (Monaco at the Meuse).

The city is also the home of many sports clubs and some historic and iconic athletes.

===Football===
[[File:Robin Van Persie August 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Robin van Persie]] began his career with [[Excelsior Rotterdam|Excelsior]] and broke through in Feyenoord.]]
[[File:Rotterdam feyenoord stadion 1.jpg|thumb|De Kuip, Feyenoord home stadium]]

Rotterdam is the home of three professional [[Association football|football]] clubs, being [[Eredivisie|first tier]] clubs [[Feyenoord]], [[Sparta Rotterdam|Sparta]] and second tier club [[Excelsior Rotterdam|Excelsior]].

Feyenoord, founded in 1908 and the dominant of the three professional clubs, has won sixteen national titles since the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands. It won the [[UEFA Champions League]] as the first Dutch club in 1970 and won the World Cup for club teams in the same year. In 1974, they were the first Dutch club to win the [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] and in 2002, Feyenoord won the UEFA Cup again. In 2008, the year of their 100-year-anniversary, Feyenoord won the [[KNVB Cup]].

Seating 51,480, its 1937 stadium, called ''Stadion Feijenoord'' but popularly known as [[De Kuip]] ('the Tub'), is the second-largest in the country, after the [[Amsterdam Arena]]. De Kuip, located in the southeast of the city, has hosted many international football games, including the final of [[UEFA Euro 2000|Euro 2000]] and has been awarded a FIFA 5 star ranking. There are concrete plans to build a new stadium with a capacity of at least 63,000 seats.

Sparta, founded in 1888 and situated in the northwest of Rotterdam, won the national title six times; Excelsior (founded 1902), in the northeast, has never won any.

Rotterdam also has three [[Hoofdklasse|fourth tier]] clubs, SC Feijenoord (Feyenoord Amateurs), PVV DOTO and TOGR.
Rotterdam is and has been the home to many great football players and coaches, among whom:
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
*[[Bert van Marwijk]]
*[[Coen Moulijn]]
*[[Howard D Carter]]
*[[Dirk Kuyt]]
*[[Ernst Happel]]
*[[Faas Wilkes]]
*[[Giovanni van Bronckhorst]]
*[[Georginio Wijnaldum]]
*[[Henrik Larsson]]
*[[Danny Blind]]
*[[John de Wolf]]
*[[Jon Dahl Tomasson]]
*[[Leo Beenhakker]]
*[[Louis van Gaal]]
*[[Ove Kindvall]]
*[[Kevin Strootman]]
*[[Memphis Depay]]
*[[Pierre van Hooijdonk]]
*[[Pim Doesburg]]
*[[Puck van Heel]]
*[[Rinus Israël]]
*[[Robin van Persie]]
*[[Ronald Koeman]]
*[[Roy Makaay]]
*[[Ruud Gullit]]
*[[Sonny Silooy]]
*[[Willem van Hanegem]]
*[[Wim Jansen]]
*[[Winston Bogarde]]
*[[Włodzimierz Smolarek]]
*[[Julio Ricardo Cruz]]
}}

===Marathon===
[[File:Hardlopers marathon in Rotterdam.JPG|thumb|Runners during the marathon in Rotterdam]]
Rotterdam has its own annual international [[Rotterdam Marathon|marathon]], which offers one of the fastest courses in the world. From 1985 until 1998, the [[Marathon world record progression|world record]] was set in Rotterdam, first by [[Carlos Lopes]] and later in 1988 by [[Belayneh Densamo]].

In 1998, the world record for women was set by [[Tegla Loroupe]], in a time of 2:20.47. Loroupe won the Rotterdam Marathon three consecutive times, from 1997 to 1999.

The track record for men is held by [[Bashir Abdi]], who ran a time of 2:03.36 in 2021. The female record was set in 2012 when [[Tiki Gelana]] finished the race in 2:18.58. Gelana went on to become the 2012 Olympic champion in London, a few months later.

The marathon starts and ends on the ''[[Coolsingel]]'' in the heart of Rotterdam. It attracts a total of 900,000 visitors.

===Tennis===
[[File:Arthur Ashe.jpg|thumb|Arthur Ashe at the [[1975 ABN World Tennis Tournament]]]]

Since 1972, Rotterdam hosts the indoor hard court [[Rotterdam Open|ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament]], part of the [[Association of Tennis Professionals|ATP]] Tour. The event was first organised in 1972 when it was won by [[Arthur Ashe]]. Ashe went on to win the tournament two more times, making him the singles title record holder.

Former [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] winner [[Richard Krajicek]] became the tournament director after his retirement in 2000. The latest edition of the tournament attracted a total of 116,354 visitors.<ref>{{cite web |last=ABN Amro WTT |title=Laatste nieuws · 40e ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament |url=http://www.abnamrowtt.nl/nieuws-en-media/laatste-nieuws/40e-editie/bezoekersrecord-op-40e-editie-abn-amro-world-tennis-tournament |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130220121606/http://www.abnamrowtt.nl/nieuws-en-media/laatste-nieuws/40e-editie/bezoekersrecord-op-40e-editie-abn-amro-world-tennis-tournament |archive-date=20 February 2013}}</ref>

===Tour de France===
In November 2008 Rotterdam was chosen as the host of the [[Grand Départ]] of the [[2010 Tour de France]].
Rotterdam won the selection over the Dutch city of [[Utrecht]]. Germany's Düsseldorf had previously also expressed interest in hosting. The [[Amaury Sport Organisation]] (ASO), the organizer of the Tour de France, said in a statement on its web site that it chose Rotterdam because, in addition to it being another big city, like London, to showcase the use of bikes for urban transportation, it provided a location well-positioned considering the rest of the route envisioned for the 2010 event. The start in Rotterdam was the fifth to take place in the Netherlands. The [[prologue]] was a {{cvt|7|km|2}} individual time trial crossing the centre of the city. The first regular stage left the [[Erasmusbrug]] and went south, towards Brussels.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 October 2009 |title=Tour de France 2010 – The route |url=http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091016053229/http://www.letour.fr/2010/TDF/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html |archive-date=16 October 2009 |access-date=14 October 2009 |publisher=Tour de France}}</ref>

The second stage of [[2015 Tour de France|2015 edition]] took the riders through Rotterdam on their way to [[Neeltje Jans]] in Zeeland.<ref>{{cite news |date=9 December 2014 |title=Utrecht – Grand Depart Tour de France 2015 |work=Holland.com |url=http://www.holland.com/uk/press/holland-news/events/utrecht-grand-depart-tour-de-france-2015.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=12 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924041914/http://www.holland.com/uk/press/holland-news/events/utrecht-grand-depart-tour-de-france-2015.htm |archive-date=24 September 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=23 October 2014 |title=Analysis: A Tour route with a difference |work=[[Cycling Weekly]] |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/untypical-tour-de-france-2015-route-typical-prudhomme-140923 |access-date=11 July 2015 |archive-date=12 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712111312/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/tour-de-france/untypical-tour-de-france-2015-route-typical-prudhomme-140923 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The 2024 edition of the [[Tour de France Femmes]] will begin in Rotterdam, with three stages in the Netherlands.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Farrand |first=Stephen |date=10 July 2023 |title=Tour de France Femmes to start in the Netherlands in 2024 |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-femmes-to-start-in-the-netherlands-in-2024/ |access-date=10 July 2023 |website=cyclingnews.com |language=en |archive-date=10 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230710213207/https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-femmes-to-start-in-the-netherlands-in-2024/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Rowing===
Members of the student rowing club [[Skadi (rowing club)|Skadi]] were part of the '[[Holland Acht]]', winning a gold medal at the [[Rowing at the Summer Olympics|Olympics]] in [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Men's Eight - Final |url=http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1996-olympic-games/mens-eight/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623140852/http://www.worldrowing.com/events/1996-olympic-games/mens-eight/ |archive-date=23 June 2020 |access-date=21 June 2020 |website=World Rowing |publisher=World Rowing.com}}</ref> Since the opening in April 2013, Rotterdam hosts the rowing venue [[Willem-Alexander Baan]] that hosted the [[2016 World Rowing Championships]] for Seniors, U23 and Juniors.

===Field hockey===
In [[field hockey]], Rotterdam has the largest hockey club in the Netherlands, [[HC Rotterdam]], with its own stadium in the north of the city and nearly 2,400 members. The first men's and women's teams both play on the highest level in the Dutch ''Hoofdklasse''.

===Baseball===
Rotterdam is home to the most successful European [[baseball]] team, [[DOOR Neptunus|Neptunus Rotterdam]], winning the most [[European Cup (baseball)|European Cups]].

===Boxing===
[[File:Bep van Klaveren, Olympische Spelen 1928 Amsterdam.jpg|thumb|upright|Bep van Klaveren]]
Rotterdam has a long boxing tradition starting with [[Bep van Klaveren]] (1907–1992), aka 'The Dutch Windmill', Gold medal winner of the 1928 [[Amsterdam Olympics]], followed by professional boxers like [[Regilio Tuur]] and Don Diego Poeder.

===Swimming===
Rotterdam's swimming tradition started with [[Marie Braun]] aka Zus (sister) Braun, who was coached to a gold medal at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics by her mother Ma Braun, and 3 European titles three years later in Paris. In her career as 14-time national champ, she broke 6 world records. Ma Braun later also coached the Rotterdam-born, three-times Olympic champion [[Rie Mastenbroek]] during the Berlin Olympics in 1936. In later years [[Inge de Bruijn]] became a Rotterdam sports icon as triple Olympic Gold medal winner in 2000 and triple European Gold medal winner in 2001.

===Sailing===
Olympic Gold medalist, in the [[O-Jolle]] during [[sailing at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Olympics]], [[Daan Kagchelland]] was born in Rotterdam and member of the [[:nl:Rotterdamsche Zeil Vereeniging|Rotterdamsche Zeil Vereeniging]]. The Kralingse plas was and is still a source of Olympic sailors like [[Koos de Jong]], [[Ben Verhagen]], [[Henny Vegter]], [[Serge Kats]] and [[Margriet Matthijsse]].

===Motorcycle racing===
Motorcycle speedway was staged in the Feyenoord Stadium after the second world war. The team which raced in a Dutch league was known as the Feyenoord Tigers. The team included Dutch riders and some English and Australian riders.

===Sportsmen of the year election===
Since 1986, the city has selected its best sportsman, woman and team at the [[Rotterdam Sportsman of the year|Rotterdam Sports Awards Election]], held in December.

===Other famous Rotterdam athletes===
[[File:Francisco Elson.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Francisco Elson]]]]
*[[Mia Audina]], a retired Indonesia-born badminton player, living in Rotterdam.
*[[Nelli Cooman]], a Surinamese-born retired athlete who held the [[60 metres|60 m]] dash world record, and was the world and European champion in that event.
*[[Robert Doornbos]], a Rotterdam-born race car driver, who competed in the [[Formula One]].
*[[Robert Eenhoorn]], a Rotterdam-born retired MLB shortstop, who competed for the [[New York Yankees]], the [[Anaheim Angels]] and the [[New York Mets]].
*[[Dex Elmont]], a Rotterdam-born judoka, who finished second in the European championships in 2009 in the {{cvt|65|to|73|kg|0}} division.
*[[Guillaume Elmont]], a Rotterdam-born judoka, who became world champion in 2005 in the {{cvt|73|to|81|kg|0}} division.
*[[Francisco Elson]], a Rotterdam-born basketball player who played in the NBA, won the NBA finals in 2007 with the [[San Antonio Spurs]].
*[[Ignisious Gaisah]], a Ghanaian-born long jumper with a personal best of {{cvt|8.43|m|ft|2|abbr=off}}, residing in Rotterdam since 2001. Gaisah is a multiple medal winner in several international events, both as a citizen of Ghana and the Netherlands.
*[[Francis Hoenselaar]], a Rotterdam-born female darts player, generally recognised as the best Dutch female darts player ever.
*[[Robert Lathouwers]], an athlete born in a Rotterdam suburb, specialised in the 800 m. Lathouwers gained international notoriety when he got disqualified after shoving Irish athlete [[David McCarthy (born 1983)|David McCarthy]] in the 2010 European Championships.
*[[Fatima Moreira de Melo]], a Rotterdam-born, three-times Olympic champion in field hockey. Moreira de Melo is a professional poker player.
*[[Piet Roozenburg]], a Rotterdam-born draughts player, who was the world champion from 1948 to 1956 and the 8-time Dutch champion.
*[[Betty Stöve]], a Rotterdam-born retired female tennis double specialist and 10-time Grand Slam winner.
*[[Ingmar Vos]], a Rotterdam-born decathlete, with a personal best of 8224 points.