opa jan uit utrecht steunt zijn italiaanse kleinzoon op de winterspelen
Utrecht, zaterdag, 14 februari 2026.
Opa Jan uit Utrecht juicht niet voor de Nederlandse schaatsers, maar voor zijn eigen kleinzoon Jeffrey Rosanelli. Jeffrey komt uit Italië en doet mee aan de winterspelen in Milaan. Hij stond ooit op de rand van een carrièrestop door een zware knieblessure. Dankzij een innovatieve behandeling, waarbij vet uit de buik werd gespoten in de knie, kon hij terugkeren. Nu rijdt hij weer op topniveau. Voor Opa Jan is elke race van Jeffrey puur emotie. “Hij is voor mij al een kampioen”, zegt hij. Terwijl heel Nederland meekijkt, draait hun familieverhaal rond trouw, hoop en de kracht van geloof.
a dutch grandfather’s italian pride
Jan Dokter from Soest, often referred to as Opa Jan from Utrecht, is not rooting for Dutch speed skating stars like Jenning de Boo or Joep Wennemars during the 2026 Winter Olympics. Instead, his loyalty lies with his grandson, Jeffrey Rosanelli, competing for Italy in speed skating [1]. Born in Trento, Italy in 1998, Rosanelli is the son of Esther Dokter from Soest and Italian national Giuseppe Rosanelli [1]. This personal connection has turned a major sporting event into a deeply intimate family moment watched across the Netherlands [1].
overcoming career-threatening adversity
Jeffrey Rosanelli’s path to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics was nearly derailed by a severe knee injury previously deemed career-ending by medical experts [1]. His return became possible through an innovative treatment involving injecting abdominal fat tissue directly into the damaged knee joint [1]. This experimental procedure enabled Rosanelli to recover sufficiently to qualify for the games, a comeback commentators widely describe as a ‘fairytale’ [1]. The successful intervention restored both physical capability and competitive ambition [1].
from youth dedication to olympic dreams
Rosanelli demonstrated commitment to speed skating from a young age, training four times weekly even during summer months as a ten-year-old [1]. His specialization lies in short-distance events, holding personal bests of 34.54 seconds in the 500-meter and 1:09.43 in the 1,000-meter, achieved respectively in Salt Lake City and Calgary in 2021 [1]. Although he placed 19th at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, his persistence has culminated in another opportunity at the highest level [1]. Opa Jan recalls initially finding skating “always much too cold” and once advised quitting, but now fully supports his grandson’s ambitions [1].
family bonds transcend national loyalties
For Jan Dokter, every race featuring Jeffrey Rosanelli carries profound emotional weight regardless of outcome [1]. “He is already a champion to me,” Dokter stated, emphasizing familial pride over medals [1]. He watches recordings of Rosanelli’s performances repeatedly, sometimes replaying them “up to a hundred times” [1]. On February 14, 2026, Dokter prepared to watch the men’s 500-meter sprint live, acknowledging rising tension: “Now the excitement starts to come. I am nervous. Then it’s over in about 34 seconds” [1]. This intergenerational bond highlights how personal connections can surpass traditional national allegiances in sports fandom [1].