Bas_Verwijlen
Bas Verwijlen
Dutch fencer (born 1983)
Bas Verwijlen (born 1 October 1983 in Oss) is a Dutch right-handed épée fencer and four-time Olympian.[1][2]
He started fencing when he was five years old at fencing club Zaal Verwijlen in Oss, owned by his father Roel Verwijlen, who is also the Dutch national coach.[2] Until he was twelve years old, he fenced in two different weapons, but he has since chosen to focus on the épée.[2] He became part of the Dutch national team and took part in the Universiade (17th in Beijing, 2001), Youth Olympics, Dutch national championships, but also European and World Championships.[2] As a junior, he won eleven national titles, he became third at the World Championships under-16 in the United States and represented the Netherlands at every European and World Championship since 1998.[2] He won two World Cups for Juniors, a performance never achieved by another fencer.[2]
It was time for his senior career and also managed to achieve World class performances there. At the 2005 World Championships in Leipzig he won the bronze medal.[2] At the European Championships 2005 in Zalaegerszeg he and his Dutch teammates came sixth in the nations tournament.[2] He reached the final and became second at the 2006 European Championships in Izmir.[2] After the Grand Prix meeting in Stockholm in 2008 he was secure of qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.[2] In the preparations for this tournament he won the World Cup meeting in Cali, Colombia in June and he also won the Dutch national title.[2] At the 2008 Summer Olympics he reached the last eight, losing to the eventual gold medalist, Matteo Tagliariol.[3]
At the 2011 European Championships, he finished in 2nd place, a result he repeated at the 2011 World Championships.[4] He qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, finishing in 13th place, despite a knee injury.[3][4]
