ANTWERP, September 18, 2023 - The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships which will take place in Antwerp, Belgium from September 30 to October 8 is being awaited with great interest, as it is also a qualification event for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. But unfortunately for the host country, they will be without two key gymnasts.
According to the Flemish (Gymfed) and Francophone (FFG) Federations de Gymnastique, Nina Derwael and Lisa Vaelen will miss the upcoming world championships in Antwerp.
Derwael, 23 years old, is Belgium's lone world artistic gymnastics champion and Olympic gymnastics gold medalist. The two-time world champion in uneven bars (2018 and 2019) and uneven bars champion at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics will miss this year's worlds due to a shoulder injury she suffered on September 8. "A childhood dream is falling apart, I'll be in the stands like I was in 2013... it's still hard to understand, this at the moment," said Derwael.
Vaelen (19 years old), a medalist at the last edition of the European Championships, will miss the event as she is ill with mononucleosis fever. “This is a setback, and my fever comes at an inopportune time. We have been working with the team for months for the World Championships and I am very sorry to have to miss this. At the moment, however, the focus is on my recovery," said Vaelen.
Belgium placed 11th at last year's World Championships with Derwael and Vaelen in the team. The Belgian men's and women's world teams are to be announced on September 22.
