Meanwhile, in Other Parts of the World...

--- According to Sina, Yang Wei may become a specialist rather than an all-arounder. The 2008 Olympic all-around champion, who only just resumed systematic training after a long break and a high-profile wedding, says he does want to take part in this year's National Games (a big sporting event in China), but "not necessarily in the all-around." "I first want to resume regular training. I haven't made up my mind yet about what I'll do later, but I definitely want to represent Hubei Province at the National Games," said Yang. "Last time, the Hubei men's team placed sixth. I hope we can do better this year."


Yang Wei in Beijing (photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts)

--- In Holland a few more unflattering articles have been published on the goings-on in the national women's gymnastics team. The country's largest newspaper, Telegraaf, just devoted a couple of articles (here and here) to perceived wrongs in the Dutch gymnastics world, quoting former national team members Petra Witjes and Berber van den Berg, as well as current national team member Loes Linders' mother. We're not going to post the articles here as we're too busy to translate them and they don't go beyond the usual arguments against women's gymnastics (i.e. it exploits children who suffer verbal abuse at the hands of their ambitious and frequently socially inept coaches and don't dare contradict those coaches for fear of losing their place on the team), but it is more bad press for Dutch gymnastics, which once upon a time seemed so promising...


Sanne Wevers, Dutch female gymnast of the year
(photo: Iris van den Broek/Gymnasticsphotography)

--- On a more positive note, the same newspaper, Telegraaf, reports that the Dutch Gymnastics Federation has named Sanne Wevers and Epke Zonderland as its top athletes of the year 2008. Zonderland made the Olympic high bar final and won the event at the World Cup Final; Wevers won both bars and beam at the Glasgow Grand Prix and made the World Cup Final on beam, from which she had to scratch due to an elbow injury. Holland's bronze-medal-winning team at the Junior European Championships received a special "young talent award."

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."