Occupation
Athlete, Student
Education
Performing Arts - Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts: Amsterdam, NED
Family
Partner Thijs Pot
Spoken languages
Dutch, English, German, Icelandic
Club
Topsportcentrum Rotterdam: Netherlands
Coach
Jeroen Jacobs [national]
Sporting relatives
Her mother has worked as a gymnastics judge. (TheHardWayToSuccess YouTube channel, 12 Jul 2015)
International senior debut
2015
Injuries
She sustained a rib injury in March 2020. (intlgymnast.com, 09 Jun 2020)
A broken hand sustained in a July 2018 training session ruled her out of the 2018 European Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, and the 2018 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. She had an operation and resumed light training in October 2018. (thegymter.net, 01 Oct 2018; rtvalbrandswaard.com, 29 Jul 2018; insidegymnastics.com, 09 Oct 2018)
She suffered bruised ribs while training at the 2017 World Championships in Montreal, QC, Canada. (thegymter.net, 03 Oct 2017)
In 2013 she missed two months of training due to back pain. (TheHardWayToSuccess YouTube channel, 12 Jul 2015)
Start sporting career
She took up the sport at age six at the GV Animo Hoogvliet club in the Netherlands.
Reason for taking up the sport
"My gym teacher at school saw that I had talent for gymnastics. So she talked to my parents and there it all began."
Ambitions
To compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. (nos.nl, 18 May 2022)
Most memorable sporting achievement
Finishing seventh in the team competition and ninth in the individual all-around at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and winning medals on floor and beam at the 2017 European Championships in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. (insidegymnastics.com, 09 Oct 2018, 30 Jan 2017; rtvrijnmond YouTube channel, 23 Aug 2016)
Hero / Idol
Russian artistic gymnast Aliya Mustafina, US artistic gymnasts Nastia Liukin and Aly Raisman, Dutch artistic gymnast Sanne Wevers. (insidegymnastics.com, 30 Jan 2017)
Philosophy / Motto
"I do my gymnastics out of passion. Everything I do comes right from my heart. I would be very disappointed in myself if I wouldn't give it my all. I give 100% or not at all. There's no in-between." (International Gymnast, 01 Jun 2019)
Awards
She was named the 2016 Young Talent of the Year by the Dutch Olympic Committee and Dutch Sports Federation [NOC*NSF]. (intlgymnast.com, 22 Dec 2016)
Additional information
RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
She considered quitting the sport after the Dutch Gymnastics Federation [KNGU] parted ways with her then coach Patrick Kiens in late 2020. Kiens was not able to accompany her to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "That period was very difficult for me. It was not my choice that I no longer train with Patrick. I had doubts for a long time, I thought that it may be time to end my career. Then suddenly the fire was there again. I went to Disneyland for a few days. Then the following Monday I started training again. And on that Monday a switch was turned on, the feeling was suddenly there. It was a moment I had been waiting for for a long time." (nos.nl, 18 May 2022; volkskrant.nl, 29 Apr 2022; ad.nl, 08 Dec 2020)
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Both her parents were born in Iceland, and moved to the Netherlands for work. She has dual citizenship and was able to choose between competing for Iceland or the Netherlands. "I want to work hard to make it into the team. That would be easier in Iceland, but in the Netherlands it's more about pride to make the team. I train in the Netherlands, so I like to represent the Netherlands." (TheHardWayToSuccess YouTube channel, 12 Jul 2015)
Last update : 2024-07-22
32
0
123