Suddenly reaching the Games becomes an even tougher task for the Olympic champion. Nina Derwael was told today that the coaches with whom she achieved all her successes will no longer be by her side. “A bolt from the blue,” assures gymnastics commentator Steffy Merlevede. “The fact that there is no replacement yet seems like a disaster for Derwael.”
Tick, tick.
At 9 months and 3 days from the Olympic Games in Paris, defending champion Nina Derwael is without a coach.
The departure of the French top duo Marjorie Heuls and Yves Kieffer is a factor that the super talent on the uneven bars never took into account.
“For her and the other Belgian gymnasts it was a bolt from the blue,” says commentator Steffy Merlevede. “This will therefore have a major impact.”
Because, make no mistake. Derwael may have Olympic gold, two world titles and two European titles to his name. She does not yet have a ticket to the French capital due to a year full of shoulder injuries.
Then it doesn’t help that there is now a vacancy is open to find a new head coach.
Derwael and Heuls at the last World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp.
Tough assignment without a familiar structure
The coaching duo had been employed by Gymfed since 2009 – for 14 years.
During that period, Kieffer and Heuls laid the foundation for the 6 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals of the Belgian flagship in gymnastics.
“They were really the basis of the success and growth of the sport in recent years,” Merlevede also knows. “Okay, the last World Cup was disappointing – without Olympic tickets or Belgians in the final, but that also had to do with bad luck.”
Because Nina Derwael has had her share of bad luck in 2023. In April she had to pass for the European Championships in Turkey with a shoulder injury, but at the beginning of September the same shoulder dislocated.
Cross over the World Cup in Antwerp. And also the greatest certainty at the Games with a top 12 place for the Belgian team. Team Belgym ended up in 17th place.
The schedule is very tight and Nina certainly counted on having Heuls by her side.
Steffy Merlevede
So Derwael only has two options: qualify through the World Cups in February-March or through the European Championships in May next year.
Not an easy task due to her injury. Now, without the familiar structure, it is gradually becoming extremely difficult.
“The schedule is very tight and Nina was certainly counting on having Heuls by her side,” says Merlevede. “She has always expressed her unconditional support, even in times of the case involving mentally transgressive behavior.”
In any case, the click between trainer and gymnast was a certainty. That is now gone.
“The fact that there is no replacement so close to the Games is a disaster for Derwael. And for Lisa Vaelen and Maellyse Brassart.”
Tick Tock. July 26, 2024 is approaching mercilessly for our gymnasts. Then Paris opens 2024.
2023-10-23 19:20:47
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