Verona van de Leur

Last updated
Verona van de Leur
Verona van de Leur (cropped).jpg
Personal information
Full nameVerona van de Leur
Country representedFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Born (1985-12-27) 27 December 1985 (age 38)
Gouda, The Netherlands
Discipline Women's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International
Former coach(es) Boris Orlov
Retired2008
Medal record
World Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Debrecen Floor Exercise
World Cup Final
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 2002 Stuttgart Floor Exercise
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2002 Stuttgart Vault
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2002 Stuttgart Uneven Bars
European Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Patras Team
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Patras All-Around
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2002 Patras Vault
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2002 Patras Balance Beam
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 2002 Patras Floor Exercise

Verona van de Leur (born 27 December 1985) is a retired Dutch artistic gymnast and adult film performer. She was named Dutch Sportswoman of the Year in 2002 after winning the all-around silver medal at that year's European championships and the silver medal on floor exercise at the world championships.

Contents

Van de Leur retired from gymnastics in 2008, after which she suffered personal difficulties, including a conviction for blackmail and a prison sentence. She began performing in adult webcam shows and then in adult films. [1] [2]

Biography

Van de Leur, born in Gouda, South Holland, the Netherlands, began with gymnastic at 5 years of age at gym T.O.O.S. Waddinxveen. At the age of 9, she started to train at Pro Patria in Zoetermeer.

Her first national appearance was at the Dutch National Championship in 2000. She was the junior Dutch all-around champion and won three event finals. One year later, in 2001, she was the Dutch all-around women's champion. With the Dutch team she surprising took the fifth place in the World Championship in Ghent. This performance made them the Dutch sports team of the year 2001.

2002 was Van de Leur's break-out year on the international stage. She won five medals at the European Championship in Patras, Greece, including silver medals in the team competition, the all-around (behind Svetlana Khorkina) and on beam. [3] She also won a bronze medal on floor exercise. Van der Leur then won silver on the floor exercise at the World Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, and gold at the World Cup Finals on the same apparatus. She was elected 2002 Dutch Sportswoman of the Year and once again they were sports team of the year.

Van de Leur and Renske Endel were drawn as a reserve for the World Cup of 2003 in Anaheim and the Dutch team was not placed among the top twelve. Therefore, the gymnast didn't qualify for the Olympics in Athens. Then it came to a rift between her coach Frank and Van de Leur, leading her to move to The Hazenkamp in Nijmegen, the club of trainer Boris Orlov. In 2007, Van de Leur won the Dutch all-around champions for the fourth time. At the National Championships in Nijmegen she also won gold on beam and floor exercise and bronze on bars.

On 19 June 2008, Van de Leur publicly announced her retirement from gymnastics. Conflicts with the gymnastics federation and a lack of motivation also caused by a problematic situation at home, have reportedly played an important role in her decision. [4]

In early May 2011, Van de Leur was convicted of blackmailing an adulterous couple she had been following. [5] She served 72 days in prison. [1]

Adult performances

After being homeless for two years and in jail, Van de Leur saw a way out in late October 2011 with the adult film industry. [6] She decided to work as a webcam girl and then started her own adult website, [7] which includes adult films. [1] She only worked with her boyfriend and quit as an adult performer in November 2019. [8]

Competitive history

CompetitionTotalApparatus
All aroundTeamVaultBarsBeamFloor
Zoetermeer Toekomst Tournament 19956
Dutch national championship 19953
Dutch national championship 1996855
Ecoair (international tournament, NL) 199741
Dutch national championship 199734242
France – Netherlands 199881
Dutch national championship 19985456
Berolina Cup 199872
Leverkusen Cup 19982
Ecoair (international tournament, NL) 19981
Clubteam Nationals 19981
Budapest Cup 199811
Sidijk Tournament 19992
Lugano Cup 199911
Como Cup 199921
Dutch national championship 199921123
European Youth Olympic Days 19993353
Berolina Cup 199931
Clubteams Nationals 19991
HGT (international tournament, NL) 19993
Honeywell Cup 1999116111
Youth Europeans 200011334
Dutch National Championship 200011113
Beronila Cup 200041
HGT (international tournament, NL) 20001112
Clubteams Nationals 20001
Massilia Cup 2000615
Parijs Bercy 2001614
Cottbus 200146
Cottbus Winners Final 20011
Ploiesti 20016213
Dutch National Championship semi final 200111112
Dutch National Championship 200113111
World Championship 20019568
Massilia Cup 200153413
HGT (international tournament,NL) 200112111
Clubteam Nationals 20011
Glasgow 20012221
USA Visa Cup 200233622
Cottbus 20023
Cottbus – Winners Final 20022
European Championship 200222233
Dutch National Championship semi final 200211231
Li Ning Cup 20022132
Dutch National Championship 200211211
HGT (international tournament, NL) 2002111
Massilia Cup 20024312
World Championship 200272
DTB World Cup Final 20023371
World Championship 2003
World Championship final 20047
Dutch National Championship 20053
European Championship 20079
Dutch National Championship 20071311
European Championship 200889

In culture

Van de Leur is the subject of the song Verona van de Leur by Ellen ten Damme [9]

Related Research Articles

Simona Amânar is a Romanian former artistic gymnast. She is the 2000 Olympic all-around champion, and a seven-time Olympic and ten-time World Championship medalist. Amânar helped Romania win four consecutive world team titles (1994–1999), as well as the 2000 Olympic team title. She has a vault named after her, one of the most difficult in women's gymnastics, and was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svetlana Khorkina</span> Russian artistic gymnast

Svetlana Vasilyevna Khorkina is a retired Russian artistic gymnast. She competed in three Summer Olympics: 1996 Summer Olympics, 2000 Summer Olympics, and 2004 Summer Olympics. During her career, Khorkina won seven Olympic medals and twenty World Championship medals. Over time, she medaled in every event at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She was also the first gymnast to win three all-around titles at the World Championships and only the second female artistic gymnast ever, after Nadia Comăneci, to win three European All-Around titles. Khorkina is regarded as one of the most successful female gymnasts of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andreea Răducan</span> Romanian gymnast

Andreea Mădălina Răducan is a retired gymnast from Bârlad, Romania. She currently works as a sports announcer and journalist.

Natalia Vitalyevna Shaposhnikova, married name Natalia Sout, is a former Soviet artistic gymnast, two-time Olympic champion, and Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR. She was known for her risky, original skills and expressive choreography, especially on balance beam and floor exercise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lavinia Miloșovici</span> Romanian artistic gymnast

Lavinia Corina Miloșovici is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. Also known as "Milo" in the gymnastics community, Miloșovici is considered to be one of Romania's top gymnasts and one of the most prolific female all-around medalists ever, earning a total 19 World Championships or Olympic medals in a span of six years. She medalled in every single World Championships meet, Olympic Games and European Championships between 1991 and 1996, and is only the third female Romanian gymnast ever, after Larisa Latynina and Věra Čáslavská, to win at least one World Championships or Olympic title on all four events. Miloșovici was also the last gymnast, along with Lu Li, to ever receive the perfect mark of 10.0 in an Olympic competition and the last to receive the benchmark score of 9.95 at the World Championships. She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elena Zamolodchikova</span> Russian artistic gymnast

Elena Mikhailovna Zamolodchikova is a Russian former artistic gymnast and four-time Olympic medallist. She is the 2000 Olympic champion on vault and floor exercise, and she is a two-time World champion on vault. She also competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics where she won a bronze medal with the Russian team. She is a two-time World Cup Final vault champion and a two-time European champion with the Russian team. In 2015, she was inducted in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Oana Mihaela Ban is a retired Romanian artistic gymnast. She is an Olympic gold medalist with the team and a world silver medalist on beam and with the team. Her best events were the floor and the balance beam.

Dina Anatolyevna Kochetkova is a Russian gymnast who competed at the 1996 Olympics. An element she pioneered, a full-twisting back handspring on beam, remains in the Code of Points as "the Kochetkova".

Yelena Sergeyevna Produnova, also known as Elena, is a Russian former competitive gymnast. Her senior international career lasted from 1995 to 2000 and earned her multiple world and Olympic medals. One of the most difficult vaults in women's gymnastics, the Produnova, is named after her. With a D-score of 6.0, the Produnova vault is tied with the Biles as having the second highest D-score in women's vault in the 2021–2024 quadrennium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suzanne Harmes</span> Dutch gymnast

Suzanne Helena Johanna Harmes is a Dutch gymnast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jade Barbosa</span> Brazilian artistic gymnast

Jade Fernandes Barbosa is a Brazilian artistic gymnast. She is a two-time individual bronze medalist at the World Championships, and represented Brazil at the 2008, 2016, and 2024 Olympic Games. She was part of the historic teams that won silver at the 2023 World Championships and bronze at the 2024 Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ksenia Semyonova</span> Russian artistic gymnast

Ksenia Andreyevna Semyonova is a retired Russian artistic gymnast. She is the 2007 world champion on the uneven bars, the 2008 European champion on the uneven bars and the balance beam, and the 2009 European all-around champion. She also won a gold medal with the Russian team at the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. She represented Russia at the 2008 Summer Olympics where she finished fourth in the team competition, fourth in the all-around, and sixth in the uneven bars final.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larisa Iordache</span> Romanian artistic gymnast

Larisa Andreea Iordache is a Romanian former artistic gymnast. She represented Romania at the 2012 Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal with the team, and at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Ekaterina Vladimirovna Lobaznyuk is a former Olympic gymnast who competed for Russia in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, winning three medals. Her name is sometimes written Ekaterina Lobazniouk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Céline van Gerner</span> Dutch artistic gymnast

Céline Henriette Bianca van Gerner is a retired Dutch elite artistic gymnast, two-time Olympian, and bronze medalist at the 2018 European Championships

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simone Biles</span> American artistic gymnast (born 1997)

Simone Arianne Biles Owens is an American artistic gymnast. Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history. She is widely regarded as one of the greatest gymnasts of all time and one of the greatest Olympians of all time. With 11 Olympic medals, she is tied with Věra Čáslavská as the second-most decorated female Olympic gymnast, and has the most Olympic medals earned by a U.S. gymnast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Downie</span> British artistic gymnast

Elissa Rebecca "Ellie" Downie is a retired artistic gymnast who has represented Great Britain. She is the all-around 2017 European gymnastics champion, the first gymnast to win a major all-around title for Great Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tisha Volleman</span> Dutch artistic gymnast

Tisha Manouk Gijs Volleman is a Dutch artistic gymnast and a member of the national team. She won a bronze medal with the Dutch team at the 2018 European Championships. She represented the Netherlands at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Nina Derwael is a Belgian artistic gymnast. She is the 2020 Olympic champion, a two-time World champion, and a two-time European champion on the uneven bars. She is the 2019 European Games champion on the balance beam, as well as a two-time Belgian national all-around champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jessica Gadirova</span> British artistic gymnast (born 2004)

Jessica Gadirova is an English artistic gymnast of Irish birth and Azerbaijani descent, representing Great Britain internationally. She represented Great Britain at the 2020 Summer Olympics and won a bronze medal in the team event and was part of the silver medal-winning team at the 2022 World Championships and gold medal-winning team at the 2023 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Het bizarre leven van Verona van de Leur". Helden Online (in Dutch). 24 October 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  2. "NRC - Nieuws, achtergronden en onderzoeksjournalistiek".
  3. "Khorkina beats Dutch challenge for European hat-trick". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on April 21, 2003. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  4. "Turnen is leuk, maar zonder spelletjes".
  5. "Van de Leur Pleads Guilty to Extortion'". 19 April 2011.
  6. Matt Majendie; Don Riddell. "Verona van de Leur: The star gymnast who reinvented herself as a porn actress". CNN. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  7. "Verona van de Leur: 'Mannen zijn gebruiksvoorwerp'". De Telegraaf. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  8. Matt Majendie; Don Riddell. "Verona van de Leur: The star gymnast who reinvented herself as a porn actress". CNN. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  9. "Ellen ten Damme - Verona van de Leur". 27 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
Awards
Preceded by Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
2002
Succeeded by