Marcel Nguyen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Marcel Nguyen
Nguyen in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Marcel Van Minh Phuc Long Nguyen
Country represented	Germany
Born	(1987-09-08) 8 September 1987 (age 37) Munich, West Germany (now Munich, Germany)
Height	165 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Discipline	Men's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	2002–22 (GER)
Club	KTV Straubenhardt/TSV Unterhaching
Head coach(es)	Valery Belenky
Retired	14 March 2023
Medal record Representing  Germany Olympic Games Silver 2012 London All-Around Silver 2012 London Parallel Bars World Championships Bronze 2007 Stuttgart Team European Championships Gold 2010 Birmingham Team Gold 2011 Berlin Parallel Bars Gold 2012 Montpellier Parallel Bars Silver 2008 Lausanne Team Bronze 2010 Birmingham Floor Exercise Bronze 2011 Berlin Horizontal Bar Bronze 2016 Bern Parallel Bars FIG World Cup Event 1st 2nd 3rd All-Around World Cup 2 1 2 Apparatus World Cup 2 1 2
Marcel Nguyen Vietnamese alphabet Nguyễn Văn Minh Phúc Long Chữ Hán 阮文明福龍

Marcel Van Minh Phuc Long Nguyen (born September 8, 1987) is a famous German artistic gymnast who is now retired. He competed for Germany in the Olympic Games three times: in 2008, 2012, and 2016.

Marcel is best known for winning two silver medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He earned these medals in the all-around competition and on the parallel bars. He also became the European Champion on the parallel bars in both 2011 and 2012. Since 2007, Marcel has also been a soldier in the German military (Bundeswehr).

Early Life and Training

Marcel Nguyen was born in Munich, West Germany, in 1987. His mother is German, and his father is from Central Vietnam. He has one sister.

Marcel started gymnastics when he was just four years old. By age seven, he joined a club called TSV Unterhaching. From 1995 onwards, he trained at a special center in Munich. He quickly moved up through the ranks and joined the Junior National Team in 2002.

Marcel's Gymnastics Journey

Marcel's career was filled with many exciting competitions and achievements.

First Steps (2005–2007)

In 2005, Marcel became the German junior champion on the parallel bars. He also placed second on the rings and third in the vault. That same year, he competed in his first World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne.

In 2006, Marcel helped the German team finish seventh at the World Championships in Aarhus. A year later, in 2007, he helped Germany win a bronze medal in the team competition at the World Championships.

Olympic Debut (2008)

Marcel made his first Olympic appearance at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He helped the German team achieve a strong fourth-place finish in the team final.

European Success (2009–2011)

In 2009, Marcel had a great year, finishing second in both the Champions Trophy and the German Championship. His team, KTV Straubenhard, also won the German National league title.

In 2010, Marcel and the German team won a gold medal at the 2010 European Men's Artistic Gymnastics Championships. He also won a bronze medal on the floor exercise. Later that year, he broke a bone in his right leg, which was a tough setback.

Marcel came back strong in 2011 at the 2011 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships. He won the gold medal on the parallel bars, becoming the first German gymnast to do so since 1955! He also helped Germany finish sixth in the team final at the World Championships and placed eighth in the all-around.

Olympic Glory and Injuries (2012–2015)

The 2012 London Olympic Games were a highlight for Marcel. He won two silver medals: one in the individual all-around competition and another on the parallel bars. His all-around medal was the first for Germany in gymnastics since the 1936 Olympics! The German team finished seventh overall.

Marcel also placed eighth in the floor exercise final. He hadn't expected to compete in this event but was called in at the last minute due to another athlete's injury.

In 2014, Marcel faced a serious injury when he tore his ACL (a knee ligament) during a competition in Stuttgart. After recovering, he made a comeback at the German national championships. This allowed him to compete at the 2015 World Championships in Glasgow.

Even though the German team didn't directly qualify for the 2016 Olympics at the World Championships, they earned their spot at the Olympic Test Event in April 2016. Before the Olympics, Marcel won a bronze medal on the parallel bars at the European Championships and a gold medal on the rings at the German national championships. This was his seventh title on the rings!

The "Nguyen" Element (2016)

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Marcel and his team finished seventh. During his parallel bars routine, Marcel performed a brand new move! This move, now called "The Nguyen," was added to the official Code of Points. It's a difficult move that earns extra points for gymnasts who complete it perfectly.

Later Career and Retirement (2017–2023)

In 2017, Marcel continued to compete at a high level. He won a silver medal on parallel bars at the Doha World Cup and a bronze medal at the Cottbus World Cup. He also placed seventh on the parallel bars at the World Championships in Montreal.

Rings

Pommel Horse

Parallel Bars

Nguyen at the 2017 International German Gymnastics Festival

In 2018, Marcel won the all-around title at the German National Championships. He also won gold at the Arthur Gander Memorial and the Swiss Cup, where he competed with teammate Elisabeth Seitz.

In 2019, Marcel had to withdraw from some competitions due to injuries, including a torn shoulder tendon. In May 2021, he tore a ligament in his knee, which meant he couldn't compete in the Tokyo Olympics.

Marcel returned to competition in May 2022 at the Varna Challenge Cup. On March 14, 2023, Marcel Nguyen officially announced his retirement from gymnastics.

Competitive History

Year	Event	Team	AA	FX	PH	SR	VT	PB	HB
2005	National Championships
	World Championships
2006
	World Championships	7
2007	National Championships
	European Championships
	World Championships
2008	National Championships
	European Championships
	Olympic Games	4
2009	National Championships
	World Championships		12
2010	National Championships
	European Championships						6	6
2011	National Championships
	European Championships		6
	World Championships	6	8
	Stuttgart World Cup
2012	American Cup
	National Championships
	European Championships	6				6
	Olympic Games	7		8
	Stuttgart World Cup
	Glasgow World Cup
2013	American Cup
	National Championships
	European Championships					8		4
2014	National Championships
	Doha World Cup
	European Championships	4
2015	National Championships
	World Championships	R1
2016	Cottbus World Cup
	Olympic Test Event							6
	European Championships	5
	National Championships
	Olympic Games	7	19
	Stuttgart World Cup		4
	Swiss Cup
2017	DTB Pokal Team Challenge
	Doha World Cup					6
	European Championships							6
	National Championships
	Paris Challenge Cup							4
	World Championships							7
	Arthur Gander Memorial
	Swiss Cup	5
	Cottbus World Cup					4
2018	Birmingham World Cup		6
	European Championships	4		6		6
	National Championships
	World Championships	R2	20
	Arthur Gander Memorial
	Swiss Cup
	Cottbus World Cup			5				5
2019
	European Championships							R1
	National Championships
2022	Varna Challenge Cup					7

See also

In Spanish: Marcel Nguyen para niños