Nina Derwael is preparing to help Belgian team qualify to the Olympics and to defend her title on bars at the upcoming World Championships in Stuttgart.
Belgium does not have a lot of depth and one of their key gymnasts, Axelle Klinckaert, is still recovering from an injury. The situation is a bit better this year, unlike 2018, when Belgium opted to withdraw from the team final at Euros in order to rest the team for Worlds, as they did not have any alternates. Derwael, Dericks, and Brassart will be joined by two new seniors, Margaux Daveloose and Jade Vansteenkiste. Another new senior Fien Enghels was originally on the nominative team but had to be replace due to an injury. Belgium is even brining an alternate to Worlds, a new senior Julie Vandamme. Qualifying to Tokyo is not a given for Belgium but they have a good chance to achieve it.
In June, Derwael tried a new bars routine at the European Games but fell in the final. She modified her routine to make it really consistent and she cannot afford a risk when the Olympic qualification is at stake.
📣 Team BELGYM-selectie🇧🇪 voor het komende WK in Stuttgart is gekend! Onze gymnasten zetten alles op alles voor de Olympische teamselectie!🔥 #wearegym #stuttgart2019 #gobelgym #teambelgym
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Derwael gave an interview to Sporza.be about her preparation and goals for Worlds.
Q: October 4th is kind of like D-day for the Belgian women’s team at the World Championships in Stuttgart. How ready is that team in your opinion?
A: I think we are really prepared. We are ready to fight to get that Olympic spot, so I’m looking forward to it.
Q: How hard will it be to get that Olympic spot? Or do you feel like it’s achievable for this team?
A: Yeah, I definitely think it’s achievable. Of course. there are little things that come into play, as with every Olympic qualification. We really have to show what we’ve got in during the meet, like we do in training. And I think that if we keep our head in the game and keep fighting for every little thing, we definitely should be able to succeed.
Q: Your coach told me that the period from January until June has been kind of rough for you. How has the period from June until now been for you?
A: I think the preparation went well for me. I have pretty much gotten back the form I had last year at the World Championships. So I’m really happy with that. I’m just really looking forward to going out there with the team.
Q: The team is definitely the most important now. But when you’re thinking about the World Championships, are you also thinking about last year and your gold medal on the uneven bars?
A: I’m actually not really someone who looks back a lot. I want to look forward and look towards the Olympics and that’s why the team is so important this World Championships to get that Olympic spot for the entire team, so that we can go to the Olympics as a team.
Q: Your bars routine, have you increased the difficulty or are you focusing more on execution?
A: I have decided to keep my difficulty as it was last year. My routine has changed a little bit, so that my execution can be higher than last year, so we mostly worked on that. I trust that I can do the routine, the consistency is there, so yeah to feel good about my routine.
Q: Did you need that?
A: Yeah, I kind of did. Also for the team, that we can count on that score because we do need it. All little bits help towards that Olympic spot.
Q: Axelle, unfortunely, didn’t get in shape in time. How hard it that for the team? You obviously have very good gymnasts on that team, but her experience would definitely have added value, right?
A: Yeah, of course it’s very unfortunate that she can’t be there with us. She worked really hard, all the preparation… and to then not be able to go last minute is always hard, also for the team. She would’ve been hugely valuable for the team with all the experience she’s gained the last couple of years. But we’re really going to try and get that Olympic spot for her.
Q: A couple of months ago you said: the World Championships are the hardest, but also kind of the easiest competition, because you’ve trained so much and are so well prepared and feel so fit. Do you already have that feeling?
A: Yes, you notice now in practice, when we have to do our routines… We have short practices now, we do about two routines on every apparatus or so and move on to the next. You notice there really is a rhythm in the practices now and that we are ready to show those routines at the World Championships.
Q: Are you going to do all-around or are you focusing on the team and see what comes out of that?
A: Yeah, the focus is on the team of course, but the intention is to compete in the all-around. I also want to earn a spot in the all-around final and be able to fight there.
Q: Your coach said “they have to show character now, they’re ready for it.” Does the team feel this or is it too far away still?
A: I wouldn’t say it’s too far away. It’s quite close…The team’s starting to feel it and I’m looking forward to leaving so that we can show what we’ve worked for. We’re all looking forward to it.
Majorie Heuls, Derwael’s coach, said the team has been doing quite well at the verifications:
“The last tests were encouraging. Getting 162 points is our goal. That should be enough to end in the top 12. We have composed the routines in such a way that everyone can perform them with confidence. We have to show consistency in stressful situations. The harder, more difficult routines will come after qualifications.”
Heuls said that the fall in the bars final at the European Games affected Derwael’s preparation for Worlds:
“The fall on bars really woke her up. She started preparing for the World Championships seriously. Of course, she is one of the favorites to win the gold medal on bars again. She still has one of the highest D scores and sometimes she performs her routine in such a way that I think: she didn’t make any mistakes at all here, did she?”
Translation from Dutch by Kim.
