Christine Aaftink

Christine Aaftink
Born	Christine Jacoba Aaftink (1966-08-25) August 25, 1966 Abcoude, Netherlands
Occupation	Speed skater
Years active	1980s–1990s
Known for	Premier Dutch sprinter in early 1990s; flag bearer for the Netherlands at 1994 Winter Olympics

Christine Jacoba Aaftink (born 25 August 1966) is a retired Dutch speed skater who was regarded as the premier Dutch sprinter throughout the early 1990s. Focusing on the 500 m and 1000 m distances, she participated in the Winter Olympics of 1988, 1992, and 1994, achieving her best results with a fifth place in the 500 m and a fourth place in the 1000 m at the 1992 Games. In addition, she had the honor of being the flag bearer for the Netherlands at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Aaftink also claimed two bronze medals at the World Sprint Speed Skating Championships in consecutive years, 1990 and 1991.

On the domestic front, she consistently won at least one title at the Dutch Sprint Championships every year from 1987 through 1996. Notably, she secured triple victories—winning the 500 m, 1000 m, and overall sprint titles—in both 1990 and again from 1992 to 1994.

Her personal records include:

• 500 m – 39.88 seconds (achieved in 1996)
• 1000 m – 1:20.21 (achieved in 1996)
• 1500 m – 2:11.57 (achieved in 1994)
• 3000 m – 5:04.33 (achieved in 1987)

Significant accomplishments during her career are:

• Bronze medals at the World Sprint Championships in 1990 and 1991
• Seven straight national titles in the 500 m from 1990 to 1996
• Five national championships over the 1000 m distance between 1990 and 1994
• Seven overall Dutch sprint titles spanning from 1987 to 1990 and again from 1992 to 1994
• A World Cup victory in a 500 m event

Through her sustained success, Aaftink established herself as a leading presence in Dutch speed skating during her competitive tenure.