Xan de Waard announces her farewell

'It's been nice, Xan out,' she wrote, six months after being named best player in the world for the second time. 'It feels good this way. I am very much looking forward to new things, but first I have to give everything in the play-offs with SCHC and this summer with Oranje.'

De Waard, born in Renkum, started playing hockey at Wageningen and made the switch to SCHC via Kampong, where she is in her eleventh season. In Bilthoven, De Waard became one of the leading players at national and international level.

For the Dutch national team, she has played 238 international matches so far and scored 22 goals. With the Dutch team, De Waard won all major awards, with Olympic gold in Tokyo (2021) and Paris (2024) as highlights. She also captured three world titles and four European titles.

Right moment

'After so many years at this level, this summer feels like the right moment. Grateful for everything hockey has brought me,' De Waard writes. 'I could never have done this without the people around me. Thanks to all the coaches, trainers, physios, doctors and teammates who believed in me, put time in me and made me better, as a hockey player and especially as a human being. And my dear family and friends, you were always there. Even when I wasn't there myself. Thank you.'