Occupation
Armed Forces Athlete
Spoken languages
Dutch, English
Club
Silok Deurne [Belgium]
Coach
Koen Van Damme [national], BEL
Injuries
He tore his right Achilles tendon in October 2021 at the Wase Cup in Melsele, Belgium. (intlgymnast.com, 30 Nov 2021)
In 2021 he was affected by bulging disc in his lower back. The injury limited his training in the lead-up to the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. (intlgymnast.com, 30 Nov 2021)
Start sporting career
He took up the sport at age four. (gymfed.be, 01 Sep 2022)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (gva.be, 08 Sep 2021)
Hero / Idol
Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura, British gymnast Nile Wilson. (demorgen.be, 30 Sep 2018; gobelgym.be, 01 Feb 2017)
Rituals
He uses music to motivate himself before competing. "I call it hype music." (demorgen.be, 30 Sep 2018)
Awards
In 2021 he was named Sportsperson of the Year in Deurne, Belgium. (antwerpen.be, 11 Oct 2022)
Additional information
General
NAMED ELEMENT
In December 2021 'The Kuavita' was added to the Code of Points for the parallel bars by the International Gymnastics Federation [FIG]. The element, first performed by him at the 2021 World Challenge Cup event in Koper, Slovenia, involves a double salto backwards with half turn to upper arms and has an 'F' value. (gymnastics.sport, 14 Dec 2021)
HERITAGE
His parents moved from Angola to Belgium in 1994. "Before the warm-up starts, I first listen to a song 'Papa Telema' by Kool Matope. A song in the Lingala. I do not speak that language myself, but my parents, who left Angola 24 years ago [speaking in 2018] to build a life in Belgium, do speak that language, and one of my sisters too. She translated the lyrics for me." (demorgen.be, 30 Sep 2018)
TV APPEARANCE
In 2018 he was a finalist on the television show 'Belgium's Got Talent', along with fellow Belgian gymnast Jimmy Verbaeys. Together they formed the duo 'Interius Fortitudo'. (gva.be, 25 May 2018)
Last update : 2022-10-17
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