Epke Zonderland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Epke Zonderland
Zonderland in 2012 after winning his London Olympics gold medal
Personal information
Full name	Epke Jan Zonderland
Nickname(s)	The Flying Dutchman The Lion of Lemmer Epic Zonderland Epke Wonderland
Country represented	Netherlands
Born	(1986-04-16) 16 April 1986 (age 39) Lemmer, Netherlands
Hometown	Heerenveen, Netherlands
Height	173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International
Club	TSH Heerenveen
Eponymous skills	Zonderland (Parallel Bars): Swing forward with 5/4 twist on one arm through handstand and Healy to support with difficulty assignment of F (0.6)
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Horizontal Bar World Championships Gold 2013 Antwerp Horizontal Bar Gold 2014 Nanning Horizontal Bar Gold 2018 Doha Horizontal Bar Silver 2009 London Horizontal Bar Silver 2010 Rotterdam Horizontal Bar Silver 2017 Montreal Horizontal Bar World Cup Final Gold 2008 Madrid Horizontal Bar European Championships Gold 2011 Berlin Horizontal Bar Gold 2014 Sofia Horizontal Bar Gold 2019 Szczecin Horizontal Bar Silver 2010 Birmingham Horizontal Bar Silver 2011 Berlin Parallel Bars Silver 2018 Glasgow Horizontal Bar Bronze 2007 Amsterdam Parallel Bars Bronze 2014 Sofia Parallel Bars

Epke Jan Zonderland (born April 16, 1986) is a famous Dutch artistic gymnast. He is best known for winning the gold medal on the high bar at the 2012 London Olympics. Epke has also won three gold medals at the World Championships on the high bar, making him the first man to achieve this on that equipment. People often call him "The Flying Dutchman" because of his amazing moves.

Early Life and Education

Epke Zonderland was born in Lemmer, Netherlands, on April 16, 1986. He started doing gymnastics when he was just four years old! His two brothers, Herre and Johan, and his sister, Geeske, are also gymnasts who compete internationally.

In 2006, Epke started studying medicine at the University of Groningen. It took him 12 years to finish his degree because he was also busy with his gymnastics career. He officially became a medical doctor in 2018.

Epke's Gymnastics Journey

Early Success as a Junior

Epke first showed his talent on the world stage as a junior gymnast in 2004. At the European Junior Championships in Ljubljana, he won a silver medal on the horizontal bar. That same year, he became the Dutch national all-around champion, taking the title from his older brother.

Making a Mark (2005–2006)

In 2005, Epke and another Dutch gymnast, Jeffrey Wammes, made history. They were the first Dutch gymnasts ever to reach the all-around final at the World Championships in Melbourne. Epke finished in 11th place. The next year, in 2006, he won his first World Cup gold medal in Tehran on the horizontal bar. He also became the Dutch national all-around champion for the second time.

Olympic Dreams and Medals (2007–2011)

In 2007, Epke earned a bronze medal on the parallel bars at the European Championships in Amsterdam. Later that year, he finished 4th on the horizontal bar at the World Championships. This amazing performance helped him qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. At the 2008 Olympics, he reached the high bar final and finished seventh.

Epke continued to shine, winning silver medals on the high bar at the World Championships in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he became the European champion for the first time, showing he was one of the best.

London 2012: Olympic Gold!

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Epke Zonderland won an Olympic gold medal on the high bar! His score was an incredible 16.533, his personal best. His routine included a super difficult combination of moves: a Cassina, a Kovacs, and a Kolman. Many people thought his performance was one of the best at the 2012 Games. He was the first Dutch gymnast in 84 years to win an Olympic medal, and the first Dutch male or female gymnast to win an individual Olympic medal.

World Champion Again (2013–2014)

After his Olympic win, Epke kept going strong. At the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, he became a world champion for the first time. He performed another amazing routine with a double combo of Cassina-Kovacs, followed by Kolman-Gaylord 2.

In 2014, Epke won the European championship title on high bar again in Sofia, Bulgaria. He also successfully defended his world title at the 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Nanning, China.

Epke Zonderland competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Challenges and Comebacks (2015–2017)

In 2015, Epke faced some tough times. He fell off the high bar at the European Championships and later got a concussion and a thumb injury during training. These injuries made it hard for him to train, and he didn't make the final at the 2015 World Championship.

In 2016, he sprained his fingers again just before the 2016 Summer Olympics. He wasn't able to defend his Olympic title after falling during his high bar routine. But Epke showed his fighting spirit! In 2017, he won gold at the Paris Challenge Cup. Then, at the 2017 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Montreal, he managed to stay on the bar even after catching it with only one hand! He finished with a silver medal, showing incredible strength and focus.

More Gold and Silver (2018–2019)

In 2018, Epke won a silver medal at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. His routine had a very high difficulty score, which helped him earn the medal. Later that year, at the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Epke won gold on the high bar at 32 years old! He became the first man to win three high bar gold medals at the World Championships.

In 2019, he competed in Australia and won a silver medal on the horizontal bar. He also won his third European gold medal at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Szczecin, Poland. However, he made a mistake in his routine at the 2019 World Championships and didn't qualify for the final.

Tokyo 2020/2021 Olympics

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, Epke Zonderland unfortunately fell during the qualification rounds for the horizontal bar. Because of this, he did not qualify for the finals.

Awards and Recognition

Epke Zonderland meeting the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in 2012

Epke Zonderland has received many honors for his amazing gymnastics career. He was named Dutch Sportsman of the year in 2009 after winning a silver medal at the World Championships. He won this award again in 2011, 2012, and 2013 for his European, Olympic, and World Championship wins. After winning the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, he was made a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau, a very special honor in the Netherlands.

Personal Life

Epke Zonderland married Linda Steen in September 2016. They have three children. Their first son, Bert Eize, was born in October 2018. Their second son, Jan, was born in April 2021. Their third child, a daughter named Sophie, was born in November 2022.

See also

In Spanish: Epke Zonderland para niños