Athlete profiles – Women’s Team The Netherlands

TOKYO (JPN), FIG Office, October 3, 2011: Hosts of last year’s World Championships, the Netherlands sent a young but promising Women’s Team to Tokyo. Headlined by 2010 All-around finalist Celine van Gerner, the squad that just missed out on the Team Finals in 2010 is setting its cap for Olympic qualification.

Celine van Gerner

When Celine van Gerner walks into a room, she radiates with good cheer and curiosity. Ever on the look-out for a challenge, the 16 year old gymnast pushes the limits of her athletic ability. “That’s my motivation; I always want something new to do – preferably as difficult as possible.”

Celine is considered the greatest talent in Dutch Women’s Artistic Gymnastics. Earlier this year; she was seventh in the All-around and on Uneven Bars at the European Championships in Berlin (GER).

At the last World Championships in Rotterdam, she rose to the challenge and met high expectations garnered by a 19th placing at the Individual All-around Final. Celine, who seems to be resistant to any and all pressure from the outside, just loves her sport and enjoys every minute of it. “Gymnastics is what I like. Luckily, I’m good at it,” she says, thankful of her talent.

Joy Goedkoop

After London in 2009 and Rotterdam last year, Joy is participating in her third World Championships in Tokyo. The seventeen year old, who trains at the TSH Heerenveen club, is a confident young woman with a fighter mentality. She speaks up for herself, knowing that “confidence is an attitude and a matter of age and life experience.” As the eldest in a family of three children, she also likes socializing. “I talk to anybody, really.”

Yvette Moshage

Seventeen year old Yvette Moshage was a reserve gymnast at the 2010 Worlds in Rotterdam, where she took the place of her team-mate Wyomi Masela, forced to pull out due to an elbow injury at the last minute

During this year’s European Championship in Berlin (GER), the young gymnast from Deventer qualified for the All-around Final, where she placed 21st. “It was a shame for the fall on bars,” she said, referring to her final ranking. “But I hadn’t expected to qualify in the first place and really appreciate the chance to learn to cope with pressure.”

Marlies Rijken

“I would have been disappointed had I not been selected for the World Championships team,” said self-confident Marlies Rijken, calling a spade a spade. Known as a very outgoing person, eighteen year old Marlies is always up for a laugh. However, she can appear uncertain at times, and gets nervous easily. “I think that my extroverted personality is also a cover for my uncertainty,” said Marlies, who prefers to keep control over everything she does.

Marlies was part of the Dutch World Team in 2010.

The team is completed by Lieke Wevers, Wyomi Masela and Young Olympian Tess Moonen. (Source: KNGU)