Courtesy of arena, a SwimSwam partner.
arena, the global swimwear company synonymous with manufacturing premium competitive and fitness swimwear, goggles, swim caps and equipment, has announced its newest additions to the elite athlete roster, world and European freestyle champion Marrit Steenbergen.
Marrit, from the Netherlands, is set to represent the arena brand through the 2024 Olympics in Paris, showcasing arena’s innovative race suits and equipment.
Coached by Patrick Pearson at the High Performance Centre, Eindhoven, Marrit said: “I’m happy and proud to be part of the global Arena team, continuing our long-term partnership and working together to fulfill our desire to go faster.
“I’ve been using Arena products since I was 12 years old. It’s great to have the best products available at all times, ranging from training gear to clothing and super-fast suits.”
An Olympic title contender who has risen to the top in international waters, Marrit continues her partnership with arena as a distinguished ambassador.
She first came to prominence in junior competition with double sprint freestyle silver at the 2013 European Youth Olympic Games aged 13.
In June 2015, 15-year-old Marrit won 100m freestyle gold and five silvers at the European Games in Baki, Azerbaijan.
Two months later, she travelled to Kazan, Russia, for her senior debut at the World Championships and came away with double freestyle relay silver.
She ended the year with medley relay gold at the 2015 European Short-Course Championships in Netanya, Israel.
Marrit made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016 where she finished fourth with the Netherlands’ women’s freestyle relay, ending the year with 4x50m freestyle relay bronze at the World Short-Course Championships in Windsor, Canada.
Since then, Marrit has become a regular visitor to the international podium in the long and short-course pools at World and European levels.
Roma 2022 represented a real breakthrough on the individual stage for Marrit.
The then 22-year-old won the 100m and 200m freestyle double among four golds at the European Championships, a silver in the 200m individual medley and two relay bronze medals.
Since that time, Marrit’s star has continued to rise with third in the 100m freestyle at the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka before travelling to Doha the following February for the 2024 worlds.
There she twice lowered the Dutch 100m freestyle record en-route to the world title, her time of 52.23secs in the final elevating her to the eighth-fastest woman in history and third in the European rankings all-time.
She also won gold with the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Now 24 and nine years on from her international senior debut, Marrit is a real contender for the Olympic crown at Paris 2024 in five months’ time.
Before then, she will compete at the Antwerp diamond swimming race on 23-24 March and the Eindhoven Qualification Meet from 11-14 April.
Marrit will go to the Canet (25-26 May) and Barcelona (29-30 May) stops of the Mare Nostrum tour before moving on to a two-week training camp in Terni, Italy.
She will then take part in her final competition ahead of the Olympics at the Sette Colli in Rome from 21-23 June before a training camp in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Photo: Gianmattia D’Alberto/LaPresse.
About arena
Since 1973, arena has revolutionized the world of water sports through intense collaboration with world-class athletes and the development of cutting-edge competition swimsuits. Today, this spirit of collaboration and innovation lives on through the continuous development of advanced materials and Italian design that improves the performance, style and expression of all those who choose arena. From racing in the swimming lanes to living in style, arena is dedicated to providing all swimmers with the tools they need to express themselves, feel confident, win and achieve more.