Flying Dutchman (nos.nl, 13 Apr 2015)

Athlete, Doctor

Medicine - University of Groningen: Netherlands

Wife Linda, sons Bert [2018], Jan [2021]

Dutch, English

Bram van Bokhoven [national], NED; Daniel Knibbeler [personal], NED

His brothers Herre and Johan have represented the Netherlands in gymnastics. Herre competed at five editions of the world championships between 2001 and 2009, while Johan participated in the 2004 European Championships in Ljubljana, Slovenia. (SportsDeskOnline, 15 Nov 2018; nrc.nl, 30 Jun 2008)

In December 2015 he underwent surgery on his sinuses to cure a chronic cold he had been suffering from during 2015. In November 2019 he underwent a second surgery on his sinuses. (volkskrant.nl, 21 Nov 2019; nos.nl, 09 Dec 2015)

He sustained a concussion after a fall during training in August 2015. He returned to competition in October 2015. (ad.nl, 03 Oct 2015)

In January 2008 he suffered an inflammation of a nerve in his shoulder. (intlgymnast.com, 19 May 2008)

He took up gymnastics at age four at the DOS club in Lemmer, Netherlands.

He took up gymnastics because his siblings were already involved in the sport.

Japanese gymnast Hiroyuki Tomita, Russian gymnast Alexei Nemov. (fanvanepke.nl, 27 May 2011)

In June 2017 he was presented with the Flatow Award by the German Gymnastics Federation. He was the first non-German gymnast to receive the award, which is given to athletes who have shown exemplary conduct and integrity. (nos.nl, 14 Jun 2017)

In April 2013 the gymnastics centre in Heerenveen, Netherlands, was renamed in his honour in recognition of the gold medal he won at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (turncentrumheerenveen.nl, 01 Jun 2013; omropfryslan.nl, 26 Apr 2013)

In 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 he was named Dutch Male Athlete of the Year. (nusport.nl, 17 Dec 2013)

In 2012 he was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau by the Dutch government. (fig-gymnastics.com, 21 Oct 2018)

TOKYO STRUGGLES
He struggled with his shape and fitness in the lead-up to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and considered skipping the Games entirely. "It goes with ups and downs, but there is certainly no good preparation now. I'm feeling more 'not fit' than being fit. I'm sick quite often, having a cold quickly. I am certainly not thinking about medals anymore. I have to rise above myself to get to the final. To reach the final would be very special if you look at my fitness." (ad.nl, 08 Jul 2021)

RETIREMENT PLANS
He will retire from the sport after the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. When the Games were postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he struggled to keep his motivation and focus and even thought about an early retirement. "The Games were always in my mind and all of a sudden that goal fades away. We couldn't train, there were no competitions. It was very difficult to stay motivated. I even thought about retirement at that point. But in the end I didn't want to retire, I couldn't see myself sitting on the couch watching the Olympics and thinking to myself: it would have been nice to be there. I wanted to retire and walk away from the sport at a big competition." He decided to postpone his further education, which he normally would have taken up in 2021, to fully focus on the Games. (nos.nl, 04 Jan 2021; ad.nl, 08 Jul 2021; trouw.nl, 04 Jul 2020; 01 Apr 2020; telegraaf.nl, 01 Apr 2020)

NATIONAL FIRST
He became the first Dutch male athlete to win an individual Olympic medal in artistic gymnastics when he claimed gold on horizontal bar at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (SportsDeskOnline, 30 Aug 2018; espn.go.com, 08 Aug 2012)