Belgian artistic gymnast
Jutta Verkest Country represented Belgium Born (2005-10-11 ) 11 October 2005 (age 18) [1] Mechelen , BelgiumResidence Ghent , BelgiumDiscipline Women's artistic gymnastics Years on national team 2017 - 2024 (BEL ) Club GymFlex Gym Topsportschool Gent Head coach(es) Ulla Koch Former coach(es) Marjorie Heuls, Yves Kieffer Retired April 15, 2024[2]
Jutta Verkest (born 11 October 2005) is a retired Belgian artistic gymnast . She represented Belgium at the 2020 Summer Olympics and was the youngest gymnast at the 2020 Olympic Games .[3] [4]
Personal life
Jutta Verkest was born on 11 October 2005, in Mechelen , and she began gymnastics in 2010.[5] Her mother, Mireille, is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo .[3] Her idol is Gabby Douglas .[1] She currently lives and trains in Ghent .[6]
Junior career
At the 2016 Belgian Championships, Verkest finished seventh in the all-around and won the bronze medal on the floor exercise .[7] She then made her international debut at the 2017 FIT Challenge and finished eleventh in the all-around in the Espoir division.[8] She then competed at the 2017 Swiss Cup and helped the Belgian team win the silver medal behind Germany.[9] At the 2018 Tournoi International, she finished fourth in the all-around with a total score of 50.267. She also won the silver medal in the uneven bars event final behind Swiss gymnast Lena Bickel .[10] Then at the 2018 Top Gym Tournament, she won the gold medal on the uneven bars and placed eighth in the all-around.[11]
Verkest competed at the 2019 City of Jesolo Trophy , and the Belgian junior team won the bronze medal behind Russia and the United States. Individually, she finished twenty-sixth in the all-around.[12] She then competed at the L'International Gymnix where the Belgian team won the silver medal behind the United States.[13] At the 2019 European Youth Summer Olympic Festival , Verkest competed with Charlotte Beydts and Margaux Dandois , and they finished sixth. Individually, Verkest finished fourteenth in the all-around final and sixth in the uneven bars final.[14] At the 2020 L'International Gymnix , Verkest won a bronze medal on the uneven bars behind Konnor McClain and Skye Blakely .[15]
Senior career
Verkest made her senior international debut at the 2021 Heerenveen Friendly, and she finished seventh in the all-around.[16] She was initially Belgium's reserve athlete for the 2021 European Championships , but when Nina Derwael withdrew due to a minor foot injury, Verkest was sent.[17] After the qualification round, she was the third reserve for the all-around final, but she was added to the competition after Giulia Steingruber withdrew.[18] Verkest was only notified one hour before the all-around final started.[17] She ultimately finished tenth with a total score of 52.132.[19] She then competed at the FIT Challenge and helped the Belgian team win the silver medal behind France. Individually, she placed sixth in the all-around and fourth on the uneven bars, and she won the bronze medal on the floor exercise behind Roxana Popa and Maria Ceplinschi .[20]
Verkest was selected to represent Belgium at the 2020 Summer Olympics alongside Maellyse Brassart , Nina Derwael , and Lisa Vaelen .[21] Had the 2020 Olympic Games not been postponed, she would have not been age-eligible for the competition due to her 2005 birth date.[22] Before the Olympics, she stated, "The postponement of the Games was positive for me. I have come to gain experience with an eye to Paris in 2024."[23] She competed on all four events in the team final where the team finished eighth.[24] Individually, she qualified for the all-around final where she finished twenty-third with a total score of 51.232.[25]
Verkest competed at the 2022 European Championships in Munich , where she contributed to Belgium's fifth-place finish in the team final.[26]
Competitive history
References
^ a b "CV Jutta Verkest" . Gymfed (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ @jutta.verkest (15 April 2024). "Every story has an end, but in life every ending is just a new beginning" – via Instagram .
^ a b "PORTRET. Jutta Verkest (15) is de allerjongste turnster op de Olympische Spelen en "een vrolijke spring in 't veld", maar ook: "In Congo heeft ze gezien wat voor kansen ze hier krijgt" " . HLN (in Dutch). 27 July 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021 .
^ "JO 2020: Nina Derwael and Jutta Verkest in the final of the general competition" . News in 24 English . 25 July 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021 .
^ "Verkest Jutta" . International Gymnastics Federation . Retrieved 21 October 2021 .
^ Van de Sande, Stijn (25 September 2021). "Mechelse gymnaste Jutta Verkest in de bloemetjes gezet" . GVA (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 October 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (9 May 2016). "2016 Belgian Championships Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (13 June 2017). "2017 FIT Challenge Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (4 November 2017). "2017 Swiss Cup Juniors Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (17 November 2018). "2018 Tournoi International Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (1 December 2018). "2018 Top Gym Tournament Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ "USA wins senior team title at 2019 Jesolo Trophy, captures 14 other medals" . USA Gymnastics . 3 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ "International Gymnix 2019 Team Awards for Category: JUNIOR CUP" (PDF) . USA Gymnastics . 9 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (30 July 2019). "2019 European Youth Olympic Festival Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (9 March 2020). "2020 International Gymnix Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (4 April 2021). "2021 Heerenveen Friendly Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ a b "Jutta Verkest (15) geeft visitekaartje af met 10e plaats in EK-finale turnen" . Sporza (in Dutch). 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ "Jutta Verkest als reserve opgevist voor allroundfinale op EK turnen" . Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ "9th EUROPEAN MEN'S AND WOMEN'S ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Women Artistic Gymnastics All-Around Final" (PDF) . Gymnastics Results . 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021 .
^ Hopkins, Lauren (1 July 2021). "2021 FIT Challenge Results" . The Gymternet . Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ "Team Belgym Naar Tokyo" [Team Belgium to Tokyo]. GoBelgym (in Dutch). 3 July 2021.
^ Tétrault-farber, Gabrielle (25 July 2021). "Gymnastics-Too young in 2020? Olympic postponement shines spotlight on next generation" . Reuters . Retrieved 29 July 2021 .
^ "Olympics 2020: Meet Belgium's gymnastics team" . The Brussels Times . 18 July 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021 .
^ "Artistic Gymnastics: Women's Team Final – Results" (PDF) . International Olympic Committee . Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021 .
^ "Artistic Gymnastics Women's All-Around Final Results" (PDF) . Gymnastics Results . Tokyo 2020. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021 .
^ "2022 European Championships results" . European Gymnastics . Retrieved 16 August 2022 .
External links