Nickname
Turntussi (tag24.de, 24 Jul 2021)
Previous names
Pauline Schafer-Betz
Occupation
Athlete
Spoken languages
English, German
Club
KTV Chemnitz: Germany
Coach
Kay-Uwe Temme [club]; Gerben Wiersma [national], NED
Sporting relatives
Her younger sister Helene represented Germany in artistic gymnastics at the 2016 European Junior Championships in Bern, Switzerland. (SportsDeskOnline, 22 Sep 2017; fig-gymnastics.com, 13 Jan 2017)
International senior debut
2013
Injuries
She was affected by ankle and shoulder problems ahead of the 2022 European Championships in Munich, Germany, but was still able to compete at the tournament. Her ankle injury later led to her withdrawing from the 2022 World Championships in Liverpool, England. (dtb.de, 22 Oct 2022; deutsche-turnliga.de, 11 Aug 2022)
An ankle injury forced her to withdraw from the 2018 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. (gymnovosti.com, 15 Oct 2018; dtb.de, 09 Oct 2018)
She suffered a minor shoulder injury in March 2016. (saarbruecker-zeitung.de, 31 Mar 2016)
In January 2015 she injured her shoulder during a routine on uneven bars. (gymmedia.de, 06 Mar 2015)
Start sporting career
She took up the sport at age five at the TV Pflugscheid-Hixberg club in Riegelsberg, Germany.
Reason for taking up the sport
"My three brothers did gymnastics, and I wanted to try it out as well."
Ambitions
To compete in the all-around competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (intlgymnast.com, 16 Dec 2021)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Winning silver on balance beam at the 2021 World Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan. (intlgymnast.com, 16 Dec 2021)
Awards
She was named the 2015 Sportswoman of the Year in Saarland, Germany. (gymmedia.de, 23 Nov 2015)
Additional information
IMPORTANT MEDAL
Although she won gold on balance beam at the world championships in 2017, she places greater importance on her silver medal from the 2021 edition of the tournament. "It is so amazing to have a medal of every colour [after she also won world championship bronze in 2015] and I'm really proud of it, but the silver medal has the highest significance. The last years and months were really tough for me, and this medal shows that I am stronger than ever, and that's why it is so important for me. I proved to myself that I still can be world class. After Tokyo [the 2020 Olympic Games] I was a bit frustrated that I didn't make the beam final. I struggled with my backwards element and my routine wasn't that stable. After the Olympics I decided to train the fearful element again because I wanted to show the world that I can do it better. Well, it worked." (intlgymnast.com, 16 Dec 2021)
NAMED ELEMENT
The International Gymnastics Federation [FIG] added an element named after her to the Code of Points for balance beam. The element involves a salto sideward tucked with half turn and take off from one leg to side stand. (mentalfloss.com, 05 Aug 2016; flogymnastics.com, 03 Apr 2016; mdr.de, 01 Mar 2015; general-anzeiger-bonn.de, 06 Oct 2014)
Last update : 2024-07-22
32
0
123