Donna-Donny Truyens

Last updated

Donna-Donny Truyens
Personal information
Born (1989-03-31) 31 March 1989 (age 36)
Leuven, Belgium
Gymnastics career
Sport Men's artistic gymnastics
Country
represented
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
Head coachDirk Van Meldert
Retired2016
Medal record
Men's artistic gymnastics
Representing Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Universiade
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2009 Belgrade Pommel horse
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2011 Shenzhen Pommel horse

Donna-Donny Truyens (born 31 March 1989) [1] is a Belgian former artistic gymnast who competed primarily as a pommel horse specialist. He was the first Belgian male gymnast to reach an apparatus final at the World Championships and at the European Championships.

Contents

Gymnastics career

Truyens began gymnastics at six years old in his hometown, Kessel-Lo. When he was 12, he moved away from home to train with the national team in Ghent. [2] [3] At the 2006 Junior European Championships, he placed fifth in the pommel horse final. [4]

Truyens began competing at the senior level in 2007 and won a silver medal on the pommel horse at the Ostrava World Cup. That year, he also became Belgium's first apparatus finalist at the European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships when he placed fifth on the pommel horse. [3] [5] He also advanced into the pommel horse final at the 2008 European Championships, finishing sixth. [6]

At the 2009 Montreal World Cup, Truyens won the pommel horse bronze medal behind Krisztián Berki. [7] Then at the 2009 Summer Universiade, he won the silver medal behind Berki. [8] At the 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam, Truyens became the first Belgian ever to qualify for a final when he came fifth in the qualifications for the pommel horse. [9] He went on the place seventh in the final. [10]

Truyens won the pommel horse silver medal at the 2011 Summer Universiade. [11] At the 2012 Ostrava World Cup, he won a silver medal behind Andrey Likhavitski. [12] He then won the gold medal at the 2013 Cottbus World Cup. [13] At the 2013 European Championships, he finished sixth in the pommel horse final. [14] He then competed at the 2013 World Championships but did not advance into any finals. [3]

At the 2015 Cottbus World Cup, Truyens won the pommel horse silver medal, behind Ukraine's Oleg Verniaiev. [15] He was Belgium's alternate for the 2015 World Championships. He retired from gymnastics in 2016 and began working as a nurse at the Ghent University Hospital. [3]

References

  1. Curriculum Vitae van Donna-Donny Truyens, gymfed.be Archived 29 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Truyens Donna-Donny - FIG Athlete Profile". International Gymnastics Federation . Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dauvillé, Killyan (10 April 2018). "Hoe zou het zijn met ex-gymnast Donna-Donny Truyens?". StampMedia (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  4. "27th European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Team Championships" (PDF). European Gymnastics . pp. 9–18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  5. "2007 European Championships Men's EF". Gymn Forum. 13 May 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  6. "2008 European Championships Men's EF". Gymn Forum. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  7. "Truyens dans les temps pour Milan". RTBF (in French). 8 March 2009. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  8. "Gymnastics Artistic Men's Pommel Horse Final" (PDF). Gym Media. Belgrade 2009. 5 June 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  9. De Ryck, Karin (20 October 2010). "Turner Donna-Donny Truyens schrijft geschiedenis". Gazet van Antwerpen . Retrieved 20 October 2010.
  10. "Pommel Horse Rotterdam World Championships". International Gymnastics Federation . 23 October 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  11. "Artistic Gymnastics Men's Pommel Horse Final" (PDF). Gymnastics Results. Shenzhen 2011. 16 August 2011.
  12. "Double for Palesova in Ostrava". International Gymnastics Federation . 26 November 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  13. "Russian Gymnasts Capture Cottbus". International Gymnastics Federation . 25 March 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2025.
  14. "5th European Men's and Women's Artistic Gymnastics Individual Championships Men's Apparatus Finals" (PDF). Gym Media. European Gymnastics. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  15. "Strong showings at Cottbus World Challenge Cup". International Gymnastics Federation . 23 March 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2025.