Jutta Verkest

Last updated

Jutta Verkest
Country representedFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium
Born (2005-10-11) 11 October 2005 (age 18) [1]
Mechelen, Belgium
Residence Ghent, Belgium
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team2017 - 2024 (BEL)
ClubGymFlex
GymTopsportschool Gent
Head coach(es)Ulla Koch
Former coach(es)Marjorie Heuls, Yves Kieffer
RetiredApril 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]

Contents

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

YearEventTeamAA VT UB BB FX
Junior
2016 Belgian Championships7Bronze medal icon.svg
2017 FIT Challenge411
Swiss CupSilver medal icon.svg18
2018 Tournoi International4Silver medal icon.svg8
Top Gym8Gold medal icon.svg7
2019 City of Jesolo Trophy Bronze medal icon.svg26
L'International Gymnix Silver medal icon.svg84
Belgian Championships44Bronze medal icon.svgSilver medal icon.svg4
FIT ChallengeBronze medal icon.svg21
European Youth Olympic Festival 6146
Elite Gym Massilia43
Top GymBronze medal icon.svg6Silver medal icon.svg4
2020 L'International Gymnix Silver medal icon.svg6Bronze medal icon.svg4
Senior
2021 Belgian Test Meet6
Heerenveen Friendly7
European Championships 10
FIT ChallengeSilver medal icon.svg64Bronze medal icon.svg
Olympic Games 823
2022
European Championships 5
World Championships
2023 DTB Pokal Team Challenge Silver medal icon.svg
European Championships 7

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References

  1. 1 2 "CV Jutta Verkest". Gymfed (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  2. ↑ @jutta.verkest (15 April 2024). "Every story has an end, but in life every ending is just a new beginning" – via Instagram.
  3. 1 2 "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.
  4. ↑ "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.
  5. ↑ "Verkest Jutta". International Gymnastics Federation. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  6. ↑ Van de Sande, Stijn (25 September 2021). "Mechelse gymnaste Jutta Verkest in de bloemetjes gezet". GVA (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  7. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (9 May 2016). "2016 Belgian Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  8. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (13 June 2017). "2017 FIT Challenge Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  9. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (4 November 2017). "2017 Swiss Cup Juniors Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  10. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (17 November 2018). "2018 Tournoi International Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  11. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (1 December 2018). "2018 Top Gym Tournament Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  12. ↑ "USA wins senior team title at 2019 Jesolo Trophy, captures 14 other medals". USA Gymnastics. 3 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  13. ↑ "International Gymnix 2019 Team Awards for Category: JUNIOR CUP" (PDF). USA Gymnastics. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  14. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (30 July 2019). "2019 European Youth Olympic Festival Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  15. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (9 March 2020). "2020 International Gymnix Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  16. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (4 April 2021). "2021 Heerenveen Friendly Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  17. 1 2 "Jutta Verkest (15) geeft visitekaartje af met 10e plaats in EK-finale turnen". Sporza (in Dutch). 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  18. ↑ "Jutta Verkest als reserve opgevist voor allroundfinale op EK turnen". Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 23 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. ↑ Hopkins, Lauren (1 July 2021). "2021 FIT Challenge Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  21. ↑ "Team Belgym Naar Tokyo" [Team Belgium to Tokyo]. GoBelgym (in Dutch). 3 July 2021.
  22. ↑ Tétrault-farber, Gabrielle (25 July 2021). "Gymnastics-Too young in 2020? Olympic postponement shines spotlight on next generation". Reuters. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  23. ↑ "Olympics 2020: Meet Belgium's gymnastics team". The Brussels Times. 18 July 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  24. ↑ "Artistic Gymnastics: Women's Team Final – Results" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  25. ↑ "Artistic Gymnastics Women's All-Around Final Results" (PDF). Gymnastics Results. Tokyo 2020. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  26. ↑ "2022 European Championships results". European Gymnastics. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
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