Youri Keulen is a 25 year old professional triathlete from The Netherlands.  The eldest of triplets, he has been paving a path in sport from a young age, first as a footballer, then as a runner, where he claimed victory as a three-time national 800m champion in his teens.  

Picked up by a triathlon talent ID programme in the Netherlands on the back of his running and biking ability, his dream of becoming an Olympian never materialised and shortly after Tokyo 2020 he parted ways with the Dutch National team. 

 

Switching distances to take on his first middle distance race at IM 70.3 Maastricht in 2021 he was the fastest overall age grouper on the day, a few weeks later he made his pro debut at Challenge Peguera Mallorca and came fifth.  Since then he has gone from strength to strength with some stand out performances including; Winning IM 70.3 Rapperswil -Jona in 2022. He finished in 6th place at last year's IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and  followed that up with a win at Challenge Peguera Mallorca and Challenge Barcelona.  Earlier this year he came fourth at the T100 in Miami before a stellar performance saw him break the tape to win the Singapore T100 which changed the game for the young athlete and catapulted him into the triathlon spotlight globally. 

 

Youri shares insight into his life as a professional athlete, the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have the same vision and drive for you as you have for yourself, and also what his plans and aspirations are not only to the end of 2024, but beyond the next few months. 

 

A wise mind on young shoulders, Youri is excited about his future in the sport and is committed to being not only the best athlete he can be, but also the best triathlete in the world, whilst also hoping that his sporting endeavours will inspire future generations of young athletes at home and abroad.

 

With a special connection to Ireland, through his girlfriend, former professional cyclist Imogen Cotter, Youri loves coming to Ireland and indeed loves the game of hurling, especially when Clare win.