Earlier than most, the Dutch defined their money in gold terms.

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Several central banks, including the Australians, Belgians and Dutch, have already been selling gold.

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The Dutch won silver at the 2004 games in Athens, but had not won gold since 1984.

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The swimmer, who is married to her Dutch coach, Erik De Bruin, stunned the sports world by winning three gold medals and one bronze at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996.

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The author begins his travels in Nigeria, where Royal Dutch Shell started off Africa's relationship with the modern oil industry by striking black gold in the Delta region in 1958.

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Shanaze Reade and Anna Blyth, both 18 and from Leeds, took silver behind Holland in the women's team sprint but might have won gold had Reade not completed a full lap after a false start by the Dutch.

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New Zealand claimed gold and Great Britain silver in the women's 470 race, with the Dutch taking bronze.

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It was another Dutch one-two in the final of the women's 50 metres butterfly with Chantal Groot taking gold and Inge Dekker the silver.

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