BMX rider Niek Kimmann made his return on Sunday at the Dutch National Championships after months of absence. The Olympic champion from Tokyo finished in seventh place.
It was Kimmann’s first appearance in a year. In the summer of last year, shortly before the Olympic Games, he was diagnosed with an inflamed heart muscle. As a result, he was unable to defend his title in Paris and had to watch from the sidelines for months.
At the end of last year, Kimmann told NU.nl that he mainly sees 2025 as a year to rebuild. He was already dreaming aloud of participating in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. “But I’m especially happy if I’m healthy.”
Three heats were run at the Dutch National Championships in Barendrecht. Kimmann finished last in the first two heats. In the last race, he finished fifth, putting Kimmann in seventh place overall at the Dutch National Championships. Jaymio Brink took home the title.
It is not yet clear what the rest of the 29-year-old Kimmann’s program will look like this year. Later this month, the World Championships in Copenhagen are on the program.