Maarten Meiners

Maarten moves to Team Global Racing

After spending three years training with the German team, Maarten decides to move to a new team: Team Global Racing. After losing the serviceman and trainer in February of the 2017-2018 season, Maarten contacted this team for a possible partnership. His relationship with the team and trainer is very good. Trainer Paul Epstein was immediately able to help Maarten progress, which is also reflected in this season’s performances.

Maarten achieves 28th place in the giant slalom in Äre

Maarten achieved 28th place in the giant slalom in Äre (Sweden), something which has never happened before in this discipline at a World Championship. His 31st place in the Super G during a World Championship was also an unprecedented result for Maarten.

Besides the World Championships, Maarten was also very active in the Europa Cup, where he finished in the top 30 in the disciplines giant slalom and Super G on 8 occasions. His best performance was during the Super G in Sella Nevea (Italy), where Maarten finished 14th. This was the first time that Maarten had finished in the top 15 in the Super G.

Maarten starts season early in New Zealand and Australia

Maarten started his season early this year, travelling to New Zealand and Australia in July to open the season. Here he achieved 1st place in the Super G in Mt. Hutt (New Zealand). He also managed a 3rd place in the giant slalom in Coronet Peak (New Zealand) and a 4th place in Mt. Hotham (Australia). After these very satisfactory results, Maarten will be back in Australia and New Zealand to open the new season (2019-2020)!

Maarten ranked among the world’s top 60 for the first time

With his back injury behind him, this season Maarten was able to refocus on his sport. During the National Championships of Slovenia, he achieved 1st place in the giant slalom. This was not his only 1st place this season. During an FIS race in Sälen (Sweden) and Reiteralm (Austria), he also finished in 1st place in the giant slalom. Partly as a result of these good performances, Maarten was ranked among the world’s top 60 for the first time.

Maarten wins first points in the Super G in the Europa Cup

The FIS race in Aal (Norway) also played a big role in achieving a top 60 place in the world rankings. It was here that Maarten achieved 2nd place in the giant slalom. Another highlight this season was that Maarten won his first points in the Super G in the Europa Cup. He won these points during his race in Soldeu (Andorra) where he finished in 25th place!

Maarten regroups after back injury

The back injury which played a big role in his 2015-2016 season was not yet completely gone this season. Maarten saw this season as the year that he needed to regroup, and that is reflected in his performances. He hadn’t quite returned to his old level, but he was back in the rhythm of competing. In that season, he skied in 35 – 40 competitions.

Maarten close to the top 16 during World Championships in St. Moritz

Besides the disappointments with respect to his back, Maarten also experienced several highlights. Take his top 30 placement after the first run on the giant slalom during the World Championships in St. Moritz. This allowed him to start the second run in 5th place. Unfortunately, after a slightly misjudged approach to a steep part of the course, he fell.

This meant that this run was given ‘no result’. Despite the fall, Maarten is happy with the risk he took. “If you ski down too slowly and carefully, you won’t get anywhere. I had to take a risk, also because this was the first opportunity to qualify for the top 16 for the Olympic Games,” he says.

Maarten becomes Dutch champion on the giant slalom

Also this season, Maarten became Dutch champion on the giant slalom for the first time. For many years, Maarten was the best Dutch giant slalom skier in the world ranking, but he was not often able to take part in the Dutch championships. Until the 2016-2017 season, when he took part in the giant slalom during the Dutch championships for the first and last time.

This season Maarten achieved a spot in the top 10 in the Far East Cup on four occasions, with two 7th places and one 9th place in the giant slalom. The 10th place was achieved in the Super G.

Maarten rises to 67th position on the world ranking, but suffers back problems

Following his great results last season, Maarten rose to 67th position in the world ranking. Unfortunately, a back injury meant that Maarten was unable to continue last year’s success into this season. I had to rest a lot, so I couldn’t do much skiing,” says Maarten.
After many consultations with physiotherapists and doctors in the German team, the cause of the back injury was found. Through stabilisation training and a different form of weight training, Maarten was later able to resume his programme.

More good results for Maarten this season

Overall, this was a difficult season for Maarten, although he did perform well in some competitions. For example, he became Dutch slalom champion again and finished two giant slalom races in the Europa Cup in the top 30!

Maarten Meiners joins German team

In recent years, Maarten trained individually for a lot of the time. This season, however, he joined the German team. Maarten: “By training with the German team, I definitely made progress after last season, when I’d already made good progress.”

Maarten achieves two 1st places in the giant slalom in Reiteralm

During the giant slalom FIS race in Reiteralm (Austria), Maarten achieved two 1st places. These were very important FIS points which helped boost Maarten’s position to 67 on the world ranking in the 2015-2016 season. The four Europa Cup competitions also contributed to his world ranking. In these, he finished in the top 30 four times, with a tenth place in Lelex, France.

Maarten suffers equipment problems

During the World Championship in Vail / Beaver Creak (USA), Maarten suffered a setback. During his race, he fell after losing a ski. This gave him a ‘Did not finish’ to his name. “I remember that I was skiing really well. I’d been very fast in training,” says Maarten. The same happened in several more competitions, but later it appeared that his ski boot was not moulded properly.

Maarten skies in his first Europa Cup competitions

In previous seasons, Maarten skied in many competitions for the Dutch championships, FIS races and world championships. This season, Maarten took part in his first Europa Cup competitions, finishing in the top 30 in three giant slaloms. In Oberjoch (Germany) he even achieved a 10th place and in Borovets (Bulgaria) he finished in 11th place, just outside the top 10.

During the Universiade in Italy, Maarten again skied in the giant slalom and Super G, achieving 4th and 5th places. “This was my TV debut, because the Universiade competitions were broadcast on Eurosport. Unfortunately I came fourth, just missing a podium place!”

So overall, partly due to the Europa Cup points, this was a good year!

Maarten finishes his last season as junior in style

This season was the last that Maarten would compete as a junior. He ended his career as a junior in style by finishing in 10th place in the giant slalom at the Junior World Ski Championship in Quebec (Canada)! This was the first time that Maarten had ended a World Championship in the top 10.

Also as a senior, Maarten achieves good results

At senior level, Maarten also had good results. In 2010-2011, Maarten had already been Dutch champion following his 2nd place in both the slalom and giant slalom. This season, Maarten was not overall Dutch champion, but managed to win the championship with one competition.

The fact that Maarten has been in good form this season is clear from the 20th place he achieved at the super combination during the World Championships in Schladming (Austria). This is still his best World Championships result ever. At the same World Championships in Schladming, Maarten also achieved 37th place in the giant slalom. Besides these great results, this season Maarten also collected some good FIS points by achieving several podium places in Oberjoch, Otaki and Meribel, among others.

Maarten’s performances this season show the direction he’s headed in: the giant slalom and Super G!

Maarten achieves 12th place at the junior World Championships in Roccaraso

Last season, Maarten became Dutch champion for the first time. This season, he’s been doing everything he can to continue his success. And he’s done well, achieving 12th place in the giant slalom at the Junior World Ski Championships in Roccaraso, Italy. “This was my best performance yet. It also equalled the performance of Harold de Man, who until then had achieved the best Dutch result at a Junior World Ski Championship. The nice thing was that Harold was my trainer at the time.”

Maarten achieves several podium places this season

This season Maarten also achieved several podium places at FIS competitions at both junior and senior level. He finished 1st in the giant slalom in Hinterreit (Austria) and also achieved 1st place in the giant slalom at a junior competition in Sulden (Italy).

Maarten Meiners Dutch champion for the first time

At the age of 11, Maarten entered his first skiing competition. Since then, he’s not been off the ski slopes. ERU Prestige has been Maarten’s proud sponsor since 2011, helping him achieve his goals.

Between 2011 and 2013, Maarten skied in both junior and senior competitions. In this season, he became Dutch champion for the first time at the age of 19. He finished both the slalom and giant slalom in 2nd place and was thus the best overall.

This season, Maarten also took part in a Senior World Ski Championship for the first time, finishing twice in the top 60.