Lieke Wevers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lieke Wevers |
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| Country represented |  Netherlands |
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| Born | 17 September 1991 Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands |
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| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Women's artistic gymnastics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years on national team | 2009–2021, 2024–present | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Topsport Noord Heerenveen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach(es) | Vincent Wevers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Music | 2015–16: "Nuvole Bianche" by Ludovico Einaudi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Lieke Wevers (born September 17, 1991) is a talented artistic gymnast from the Netherlands. She made history by becoming the first Dutch woman to win a European gymnastics title. This happened at the 2015 European Games, where she earned a gold medal on the balance beam. She also won bronze medals with her team, in the individual all-around, and on the floor exercise at the same event. Lieke has represented her country at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Summer Olympics. She reached the all-around finals at the 2020 Olympics.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Lieke Wevers was born on September 17, 1991, in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. She has a fraternal twin sister named Sanne Wevers, who is six minutes older. Both Lieke and Sanne became members of the Netherlands women's national gymnastics team. Their father, Vincent Wevers, is their coach. They train together in Heerenveen.
Gymnastics Career Highlights
Starting Out and Overcoming Injuries (2009–2013)
Lieke Wevers faced some challenges early in her career due to injuries. She made her international debut in 2009 at the Cottbus World Cup. There, she won a silver medal on the balance beam. Soon after, she suffered a serious ACL injury at the 2009 European Championships. This injury kept her from competing for two years.
She returned to gymnastics at the 2011 World Championships. She helped the Dutch team finish thirteenth, which qualified them for the 2012 Olympic Test Event. However, the team did not qualify for the Olympics that year. After this, Lieke had surgery on both of her wrists, which meant she missed the entire 2013 season.
Returning Strong and Olympic Dreams (2014–2016)
Lieke made a strong comeback in 2014. She competed with her sister Sanne at the 2014 European Championships. This was the first time both Wevers twins competed together at a major international event. At the 2014 World Championships, Lieke helped the Dutch team finish tenth.
The year 2015 was very successful for Lieke. She won a gold medal on the balance beam at the Sidijk Tournament. Then, at the 2015 European Games, she earned a gold medal on balance beam. She also won three bronze medals: with the Dutch team, in the all-around competition, and on the floor exercise. Later that year, she competed at the World Championships in Glasgow. The Dutch team, including Lieke and Sanne, finished eighth. This amazing result meant the Netherlands qualified a full team for the Olympic Games for the first time since 1976! Lieke also reached the all-around final, finishing thirteenth, and the floor exercise final, where she placed eighth.
In 2016, Lieke competed at the Olympic Test Event and won a bronze medal on the balance beam. She was chosen to represent the Netherlands at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The Dutch team finished seventh in the team final. Lieke also competed in the individual all-around final, finishing twentieth.
Continuing Her Journey (2017–Present)
In 2017, Lieke competed at the World Championships on the balance beam. She took a break from competition in 2018 to rest and travel.
Lieke returned to gymnastics in 2019. She won a gold medal with the Dutch team at the FIG Challenge. At the Dutch Championships, she earned a silver medal in the all-around. She also won gold medals on the uneven bars and floor exercise. Later in 2019, she helped the Netherlands team qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games at the World Championships in Stuttgart. The team finished sixth in qualifications and eighth in the team final.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lieke did not compete in 2020. She returned in 2021, winning gold in the all-around at the Heerenveen Friendly. She also competed at the 2021 European Championships, finishing eighth in the all-around and seventh on the balance beam. Lieke was selected for the Netherlands at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The team finished eleventh, and Lieke qualified for the all-around final, where she placed twenty-fourth.
After the 2020 Olympics, Lieke moved to Oslo and started coaching, while still continuing her own training. She also competed at the 2024 European Championships and the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Personal Life
Lieke Wevers has studied psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands. She is also very good with languages, speaking Dutch, English, German, and French.
See also
In Spanish: Lieke Wevers para niños
