Known for his explosive speed and long sprint, Simon van Velthooven is a decorated athlete with a history of versatility and excellence.
He embarked on his third America’s Cup campaign as a cyclor in the 2024 edition, representing Emirates Team New Zealand once again. Simon had been one of the team’s first cyclors when this innovative power system was introduced in the 2017 Bermuda campaign, a move that helped the team secure the Cup. His expertise and power were pivotal again in Auckland in 2021 when he transitioned to a grinder role, contributing to another victory for Team New Zealand.
Before his sailing career, Simon achieved international success as a track cyclist. Known for his explosive speed and sprinting prowess, he made his Olympic debut at the 2012 London Games, where he earned a bronze medal in the men’s Keirin event. This achievement marked New Zealand's first Olympic medal in sprint cycling, making Simon only the second male individual medallist from New Zealand at those Games.
Simon’s sporting journey was grounded in his upbringing in rural Manawatu, which instilled in him a strong work ethic and determination. Alongside his athletic pursuits, he also completed a Bachelor’s degree in AgriCommerce, majoring in Rural Property Valuation.
I wanted to personally thank Simon for his contribution to the Altus Industrial Conference. Simon's relaxed but professional manner was appreciated and certainly made it easy to deal with. O ... keep reading Altus
Working for Microsoft I attend many conferences both in New Zealand and the US. At a recent Partner conference with Intergen I was really privileged to hear the story of Simon van Velthooven. As a New Zealand Citizen living in Auckland during the recent Americas Cup we were all in awe of the fantastic win from Team New Zealand. The story Simon told was so unique, as a medal winning Olympic athlete in cycling who had never dreamt that he would be a Sailor in the Americas Cup. He told us how he had been sworn to secrecy and had trained the professional sailors how to cycle like an Olympian to drive the boat with such power that had never been seen before. His story was humorous, humble, well told, engaging and overall incredibly interesting. I thought he made a fantastic guest speaker.
