Cornelli "Nelli" Antoinette Hariëtte Cooman (born 6 June 1964) is a former Dutch athlete of Surinamese origin.

At sixteen, she was discovered to be a very good sprinter during a sporting event at school; thus she began a career in athletics.

Three months later, she competed in the European Junior Championships in Utrecht and finished seventh in the 100 m sprint.

At first these games were only for youth-category competitors but they grew to be a national A-status KNAU (Royal Dutch Track and Field Union) event.

[1] Dutch singer Gerard Cox wrote a song about Nelli Cooman to a tune by Stevie Wonder.