Sanne Wevers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sanne Wevers
Wevers at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Born	(1991-09-17) 17 September 1991 (age 33) Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands
Residence	Heerenveen, Friesland, Netherlands
Height	1.56 m (5 ft 1 in)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Years on national team	2007–present (NED)
Club	Topsport Noord Heerenveen
Head coach(es)	Vincent Wevers
Eponymous skills	Wevers (E): 2/1 turn (720) with heel of free leg forward at horizontal throughout turn (Balance beam)
Medal record Representing the  Netherlands Olympic Games Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Balance beam World Championships Silver 2015 Glasgow Balance beam European Championships Gold 2018 Glasgow Balance beam Gold 2023 Antalya Balance beam Silver 2021 Basel Balance beam Bronze 2015 Montpellier Uneven bars Bronze 2018 Glasgow Team Bronze 2023 Antalya Team FIG World Cup Event 1st 2nd 3rd Apparatus World Cup 4 2 0 World Challenge Cup 1 1 1

Sanne Wevers (born September 17, 1991) is a talented Dutch artistic gymnast. She is best known for her amazing skills on the balance beam. Sanne won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. This made her the first Dutch female gymnast to win an individual Olympic gold medal!

She has also won many other important medals. These include gold medals at the 2018 and 2023 European Championships on the balance beam. She earned silver medals at the 2015 World Championships and 2021 European Championships, both on the balance beam. Sanne also won a bronze medal on the uneven bars at the 2015 European Championships. She helped the Dutch team win bronze medals at the 2018 and 2023 European Championships.

Sanne is especially good at the uneven bars and balance beam. She has competed for the Netherlands since 2004. She is famous for her unique balance beam routines. These routines focus on dance moves and connections, rather than just flips and tumbles.

Early Life

Sanne Wevers was born in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Her birthday is September 17, 1991. She has a fraternal twin sister named Lieke. Sanne is six minutes older than Lieke. Both sisters have been part of the Dutch national gymnastics team. Their father, Vincent Wevers, is also their coach. They train in Heerenveen.

Gymnastics Journey

Sanne started competing internationally at a young age. Her first big competition was the 2004 Junior European Championships. The Dutch team finished sixth at this event in Amsterdam.

Becoming a Senior Gymnast

In 2007, Sanne was old enough to compete in senior international events. She competed at the European Championships in Amsterdam. She also went to the World Championships in Stuttgart. There, she competed on the balance beam. Her score helped the Dutch team finish seventeenth.

2008: Olympic Dreams

Sanne competed at the European Championships in 2008. She scored well on the balance beam. This helped the Netherlands finish eighth in the team finals. She won a silver medal on beam at the Maribor World Cup. At the Dutch Championships, Sanne placed second in the all-around and on the balance beam. The Netherlands could only send one gymnast to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Unfortunately, Sanne was not chosen that year.

Later in 2008, Sanne won her first gold medals at the Glasgow World Cup. She won gold on both the uneven bars and the balance beam. She was set to compete in the World Cup Final. However, she had to withdraw because of an elbow injury.

2009-2012: Challenges and New Skills

In 2009, Sanne continued to win gold medals on the balance beam. She won at the Glasgow World Cup and the Moscow World Cup. At the Dutch Championships, she won a bronze medal in the all-around. She also won gold on the balance beam. She competed at the 2009 World Championships in London. She injured her ankle during the floor exercise. Even with the injury, she still competed on the balance beam.

In 2010, Sanne competed at the European Championships. She also went to the World Championships. There, she successfully performed a new move on the balance beam. It was a double full turn with her free leg held horizontally. This skill was named "Wevers" in the Code of Points. After the World Championships, she had shoulder surgery. Sanne missed competitions in 2011 and 2012 due to an ankle injury. She returned in November 2012. She won a silver medal on the balance beam at the Ostrava World Cup.

2013-2014: Getting Back on Track

Sanne started 2013 by winning a bronze medal on the balance beam. She then won a gold medal on the balance beam at the Osijek World Cup. At the World Championships in Antwerp, she fell off the beam.

In 2014, Sanne competed at the European Championships in Sofia. The Dutch team finished ninth. This was the first time both Sanne and her twin sister Lieke competed together at a major international event. Sanne won gold on beam and silver on bars at the Dutch Championships. She also helped the Netherlands finish tenth at the 2014 World Championships.

2015: A Big Year

Wevers at the 2015 European Championships

The year 2015 was very successful for Sanne. At the European Championships, she won her first European medal. It was a bronze on the uneven bars. She also reached the balance beam final.

Sanne then competed at the World Championships in Glasgow. The Dutch team made history by qualifying for the Olympic Games for the first time since 1976! The team finished eighth in the final. Sanne qualified for the balance beam final in second place. She performed an amazing routine and won the silver medal. This was the first time a Dutch woman won a World Championships medal in gymnastics in ten years. It was also the first time a Dutch gymnast won a World medal on the balance beam.

2016: Olympic Gold!

Sanne continued her success in 2016. She won gold medals on the balance beam at the Olympic Test Event in Rio de Janeiro and at the Dutch Championships.

She was chosen to represent the Netherlands at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Her twin sister Lieke was also on the team. In the team final, Sanne helped the Dutch team finish seventh. On August 15, she competed in the balance beam final. She performed a beautiful routine and won the gold medal! She beat American gymnasts Laurie Hernandez and Simone Biles. Sanne's routine was special because it focused more on turns than on acrobatic skills. This was a historic win for the Netherlands. It was the first individual Olympic gymnastics medal for a Dutch woman. Sanne was also the oldest female Olympic gymnastics champion since 1968. She was chosen to carry the Netherlands' flag at the closing ceremony.

2017-2019: After the Olympics

Wevers at the 2016 Olympic Games

After the Olympics, Sanne returned to competition in 2017. She won a silver medal on the balance beam at the Melbourne World Cup. She also competed at the European Championships and the World Championships.

In 2018, Sanne won gold on the balance beam at the Dutch Championships. She also helped the Dutch team win a bronze medal at the European Championships in Glasgow. This was the first team medal for the Netherlands at the European Championships since 2002. Sanne then won her first European title on the balance beam. She also competed at the World Championships.

In 2019, Sanne took time off to recover from leg and hip injuries. She returned to help the Dutch team qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games at the World Championships in Stuttgart.

2020-2022: More Competitions and Changes

Sanne did not compete in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She returned in 2021. She won a silver medal on the balance beam at the 2021 European Championships. She was selected for the Netherlands at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The team finished eleventh. Sanne was a reserve for the balance beam final. In 2022, Sanne left the national team for a period due to a disagreement.

2023-2024: Return and Continued Success

Sanne returned to the national team in 2023. She helped the Netherlands win a team bronze medal at the 2023 European Championships. She also won a gold medal on the balance beam at this event! At the 2023 World Championships, she helped the team finish seventh. Sanne placed fourth in the balance beam final.

In 2024, Sanne competed at the Antalya World Challenge Cup. In July, she was chosen to represent the Netherlands at the 2024 Summer Olympics for the third time. Her twin sister Lieke was also on the team. Sanne was a reserve for the balance beam final at the Olympics.

Her Special Skill

Sanne Wevers has a gymnastics skill named after her in the Code of Points. It is a unique move on the balance beam.

Awards

• Dutch Sportswoman of the Year (2016)

Images for kids

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  Wevers on uneven bars at the 2015 European Championships

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  Wevers on balance beam at the 2015 European Championships

See also

In Spanish: Sanne Wevers para niños