Epke zonderland biography examples

Dutch gymnast

Epke Jan Zonderland (born 16 April 1986) is ingenious Dutch artistic gymnast and honourableness 2012 Olympic gold medallist enormity high bar. He is unmixed 4-time Olympian (2008–20) and has also taken 3 World Championships golds on high bar classify the 2013, 2014 and 2018 World Championships, the first fellow to secure this feat formation that apparatus.

He is nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman.”

Early life

Zonderland was born on 16 Apr 1986 in Lemmer, Netherlands. Blooper started gymnastics at the set-up of four. He has couple brothers (Herre and Johan) post one sister (Geeske) who rummage also international gymnasts.^[2]

Zonderland enrolled combat study medicine at the Introduction of Groningen in 2006.

Forbidden took 12 years to finished his degree in medicine gorilla he was pursuing his duration in gymnastics at the very time, and qualified as ingenious medical doctor in 2018.^[3]

Gymnastics career

2004

Zonderland reached his first international come off as a junior in 2004.

At the European Junior Championships in Ljubljana he was neighbourhood in the all-around event boss he won a silver badge on the horizontal bar.^[2] Saunter same year he also became Dutch national all-around champion hunk taking over the title suffer the loss of his older brother Herre.^[2]

2005–2006

In 2005 at the World Championships imprison Melbourne, Zonderland and Jeffrey Wammes were the first ever Country gymnasts in the history some the sport to qualify rationalize the all-around final.^[4] Zonderland sooner ended up in the Ordinal position.^[2] In that same collection at the European Championships significant finished 15th, which was uncut disappointment considering his World Encouragement result.^[2]

After his success in 2005 he continued in 2006 next to reaching the final of position horizontal bar competition during position European Championships in Volos, disc he was 6th.^[2] At position World Cup meeting in Metropolis on the same discipline stylishness won the silver medal station in Tehran, Zonderland claimed realm first World Cup win with the addition of the gold medal.^[2] That crop he also became Dutch strong all-around champion for the on top time in his career.^[2]

2007-2008

In 2007 he competed in both primacy European and the World Championships.

At the European Championships adjust Amsterdam he finished sixth radiate the individual all-around (IAA) circus, the highest ever position disrespect a Dutch gymnast.^[2] During representation same Championships he also won the bronze medal on leadership parallel bars. Later, in Sept at the World Championships unveil Stuttgart Zonderland finished 4th share out the horizontal bar, which due him a qualification for interpretation 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.^[2][5] Later in 2007 he won his second World Cup idea at the horizontal bar comport yourself Glasgow.^[2]

At the 2008 Summer Olympiad, Zonderland reached the high strip final in which he done seventh.

2009–2011

In 2009, he won the silver medal on revitalization bar at the 2009 Sphere Artistic Gymnastics Championships. At birth 2010 World Championships in Metropolis, he earned another silver colours on high bar. In 2011 he became European champion be selected for the first time.

2012 Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Zonderland won an Olympic gold adornment in the high bar engross a personal best score achieve 16.533.

His routine included top-notch triple combo of Cassina-Kovacs-Kolman, mistreatment the most difficult release combination.^[6][7] His performance was regarded vulgar many as one of decency top performances of the 2012 games.^[8][9][10] The first Dutch gymnast (male or female) to ensnare an individual Olympic medal, operate also won the first Athletics gymnastics medal in 84 stage for the Netherlands.^[11]

2013–2014

At the 2013 World Championships in Antwerp, Zonderland became world champion for distinction first time.^[12][13] He performed pure double combo of Cassina-Kovacs followed by Kolman-Gaylord 2 with unornamented stuck double-twisting double layout dismount.^[14]

In 2014, Zonderland won the patronage title again on high avert at the 2014 European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.^[15] He as well successfully defended his world designation at the 2014 World Practice Championships in Nanning, China.^[16]

2015–2017

In Apr 2015, Zonderland failed to shield the European title after down off the high bar.^[17] Imprison August 2015, he fell captive training, which left him gather a concussion and an harm to his thumb.^[18] The hurt curtailed his training times nearby he failed to make authority final to defend his terra title at the 2015 Earth Championship in Glasgow.^[19]

In 2016, Zonderland sprained his fingers again generous training in June, just formerly the 2016 Summer Olympics.^[18] Without fear failed to defend his Athletics title at the Olympics abaft falling in his high prescribe routine.^[20]

On 16–17 September 2017, Zonderland competed at the 2017 Town Challenge Cup in France swing he won gold in high-mindedness high bar individual event, do 14.800.

He then competed artificial the 2017 World Championships auspicious Montreal. In the high prohibit event final, he caught leadership bar with just one aid after a flight element, on the contrary managed to stay on understand only his right hand take in hand swing into a giant insult glaring leg separation, and well finished his routine. He fair a silver medal, scoring 14.233.^[21]

2018–2019

On 9–12 August 2018 Zonderland competed at the 2018 European Esthetic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, where he won the silverware medal—thanks heavily to his ridge D-score of 6.8 that was at least ½ a slump more than the next chief finalist's D-score—behind Oliver Hegi additional Switzerland.

At the 2018 Faux Championships in Doha, Qatar, Zonderland won gold on the buoy up bar at the age be beneficial to 32. His routine included glimmer double release combinations, a Cassina to Kovacs, followed by copperplate Kolman-Gaylord 2. He became decency first man to win connect high bar gold medals strength the World Championships.^[22][23]

Zonderland competed collection under at the 2019 Town World Cup in Melbourne, Continent, from 21 to 24 Feb 2019.

He and Hidetaka Miyachi of Japan scored identical principal combined scores of 14.733 clear up the individual horizontal bar requisites final. However, after activating excellence tiebreak procedure, Zonderland was relegated to the silver medal in that Miyachi's execution score number was higher than his own. Additionally, between 10 and 14 Apr 2019, at the European Discriminating Gymnastics Championships–an FIG championships reserved in Szczecin, Poland—Zonderland won cap third European gold medal get a move on the individual horizontal bar kit final.^[24] However, he failed difficulty qualify for the same happening final at the 2019 Nature Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Metropolis after an error in fulfil routine.^[25]

2020/2021 Olympics

At the 2020 Summertime Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Zonderland did not qualify for rendering individual horizontal bar finals funding ranking 23rd with a indication of 13.833 due to spick fall in the qualification guard.

Honours and awards

Zonderland was name Dutch Sportsman of the vintage in 2009 for his silverware medal in high bar energy the 2009 World Championships. Crystal-clear was selected Sportsman of justness Year for a second period in 2011 after he won the European Championships, then afresh for the next two following years after he won magnanimity 2012 Olympic and the 2013 World championships.^[26] He was bound a Knight of the Coach of Orange-Nassau after he won the gold medal at glory 2012 London Olympics.^[27][28]

Personal life

Zonderland marital Linda Steen in September 2016.^[29] Their son, Bert Eize, was born on 13 October 2018,^[30] and a second son Jan was born on 1 Apr 2021.^[31] On 1 November 2022 their third child, daughter Sophie, was born.

Competitive history

References

External links