Dutch Injuries Not Too Bad

Sportweek reports that the elbow injury which forced Sanne Wevers to withdraw from the World Cup beam final isn't too serious. Wevers is supposed to be suffering from a partially torn muscle, and is expected to be out of action for a mere four weeks. She is said to be very relieved at the diagnosis, having feared she might have a completely torn tendon or damaged ligaments.


Sanne Wevers (photo: Pro Shots)

As for Suzanne Harmes, who couldn't finish her floor exercise in Madrid due to an injury sustained during the routine, she reportedly arrived in Madrid with a bruised ankle. She then twisted the same ankle during her floor exercise, and was in too much pain to finish her routine.

Meanwhile, NRC Handelsblad quoted the Dutch men, who were very successful in Madrid, winning a gold, a silver, and a bronze.

Horizontal bar champion Epke Zonderland called his gold medal "a fantastic end to the year 2008." The 22-year-old had been determined to avenge his fall in the Olympic horizontal bar final, which dropped him all the way to seventh place. "I think you could say I did that," Zonderland said with a huge grin on his face. "This was my best high bar routine ever." His 16.125 score was a personal best. Zonderland had never received a 16+ score before.


Horizontal bar winner Epke Zonderland (center) with veterans Phil Rizzo and Hiroyuki Tomita (photo: Volker Minkus/FIG)

For his part, vault medalist Jeffrey Wammes said his silver medal was up there with the bronze he won at the Europeans. "My first vault didn't feel particularly good, but when I saw the video footage afterwards, it didn't look too bad. My second vault was just super."

Yuri van Gelder's bronze medal on rings was his third of that color in a World Cup competition. He earlier collected thirty gold and silver medals. "Well, if you look at it [from a color-collecting perspective], it's kind of nice to have a bronze medal," Van Gelder said. "I'm not too unhappy with it. You can't always be the best."