Marieke van den Ham

Marieke van den Ham (born 1983) is a Dutch water polo player who won the gold medal with the Netherlands women's national team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the first Olympic women's water polo title for the Netherlands.^{1 • 2} She played as a field player, wearing cap number 5, and was known as the team's penalty specialist.^{3 • 4}

Early career

She was named in coach Robin van Galen's preliminary squad of seventeen players for the 2006 World Championship in Melbourne, from which four players were to be cut.⁵ In August 2005 she scored for the Netherlands in a World League match against the United States, which the Dutch lost 13-3 in Kirishi, Russia.⁶

Beijing 2008

Van den Ham was not selected for the 2007 World Aquatics Championships in Melbourne, where the Dutch team finished ninth, but she returned for the 2008 European women's water polo championship in Malaga, where the team placed fifth and qualified for the Beijing Olympics.²

In the quarterfinal against Italy, tied 8-8, the Netherlands won the penalty shootout 5-3.² In the semifinal against Hungary, an 8-7 Dutch win, she scored 3 goals on 4 attempts in just under 15 minutes of playing time.³

The final. On 21 August 2008 the Netherlands beat the United States 9-8 for the gold medal.² Danielle de Bruijn scored seven times in that match, while Marieke van den Ham's 10-9 penalty shot occurred in the Netherlands–Australia match.^{7 • 2} Van Galen's account of the tournament describes her as the designated penalty taker brought off the bench for pressure shots, calling her the team's "ice rabbit" for her composure.⁴ In December 2008 the squad was chosen as Dutch Sports Team of the Year at the Sportgala.²

References

1. Olympedia – Marieke van den Ham
2. Waterpolosters Beijing 2008, NOC*NSF Sporterfgoed
3. Olympedia – Water Polo, Women – Match #2 (Netherlands–Hungary, semifinal)
4. Robin van Galen, Mijn Olympische missie, KNVB document
5. Waterpolo selectie WK bekend, FOK.nl (20 December 2006)
6. Slecht begin World League voor waterpolosters, FOK.nl (19 August 2005)
7. Olympedia – Water Polo, Women – Match #5 (final, Netherlands–United States)

Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › Water polo players and coaches

Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026

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