Emirates Team New Zealand sailor and Olympic medallist Simon van Velthooven has today announced his retirement from professional sport, marking the end of a remarkable sporting career that redefined what it means to be a high-performance athlete.
Van Velthooven joined Emirates Team New Zealand ahead of the 2017 America’s Cup campaign in Bermuda, bringing his background as an Olympic track cyclist to a sport that had never seen pedal power before. As one of the team’s original cyclors, he helped pioneer the innovative grinding system that powered the AC50 catamaran. A breakthrough that became central to Team New Zealand’s Cup victory.
van Velthooven raced on the yacht in three America’s Cup winning campaigns (2017, 2021 and 2024) with Emirates Team New Zealand, contributing his strength, experience, and technical insight across successive triumphs that cemented the team’s dominance on the world stage.
Copyright: Richard Hodder / Emirates Team New Zealand
“Simon has been such a central part of the culture of Emirates Team New Zealand for almost 10 years” ETNZ CEO Grant Dalton said. “He helped us to secretly develop our America’s Cup winning cyclor innovation to win the 35th America’s Cup in 2017, and since then has added his professionalism, positivity and sense of humour to the team culture winning again in 2021 & 2024 in Barcelona. He should be very proud of his outstanding and unique sporting career and the part he has played in the success of Emirates Team New Zealand.”
Before joining Team New Zealand, van Velthooven was already a world-class track cyclist, representing New Zealand at the 2012 London Olympics, where he claimed a bronze medal in the men’s keirin – New Zealand’s first sprint cycling Olympic medal, along with multiple World Championship and Commonwealth Games medals. He also spent several seasons competing in Japan’s prestigious professional Keirin competition, the first Kiwi to do so. van Velthooven’s power and precision on the bike made him one of the country’s most formidable sprinters.
Copyright: Richard Hodder / Emirates Team New Zealand
Reflecting on his career, van Velthooven said “I’ve been incredibly fortunate to live out two sporting dreams; representing New Zealand on the Olympic stage and winning a medal in London 2012 at age 23, and then contributing to three history-making America’s Cup campaigns. Both experiences pushed me beyond what I thought possible and I’m grateful for every challenge, lesson, and teammate along the way. It now feels like the right time to close this chapter and explore what comes next.”
As he steps away from professional sport, van Velthooven says he’s excited to focus on his family and new challenges beyond competition, while remaining a lifelong supporter of the black boat.
