She was the youngest in Tokyo, now Jutta Verkest (18) is quitting top gymnastics: “I made limited progress”

“Over the past period I have noticed limited progress in training on a sporting level,” Jutta Verkest continues in a press release from the Flemish gymnastics federation Gymfed.

Last year at the World Championships in Antwerp, Verkest and her teammates failed to qualify the women’s team for the Olympic Games again. Without Nina Derwael (shoulder injury) and Lisa Vaelen (glandular fever), the Belgian team missed out on a ticket.

Verkest: “Given that we missed the selection for the Games in Paris, the focus on Los Angeles 2028 is too far for me personally. Hence my choice to stop.”

“I would like to thank everyone who helped me. It was a fantastic experience,” says Verkest, who wishes the other athletes good luck in Paris “and beyond”.