Nina Derwael (25) retires from gymnastics after a succesful carreer. “Hasn’t it been enough? Is it worth putting my body on the line?”

The highlight of Nina Derwael’s career: in 2021 she shone with Olympic gold.

Olympic champion Nina Derwael (25) retires from gymnastics: “I have achieved what I wanted and could achieve”

Top gymnast Nina Derwael (25) announces the end of her elite sports career. At the Tokyo Olympics, she won gold on the uneven bars. “It can’t get better than this,” explains Derwael. “If I want to play a significant role at a World Championship or the Olympics again, I would have to burden my body even more and take greater risks — I no longer want to do that.”

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Olympic and two-time world champion

After an extremely successful career, Nina Derwael is calling it a day. The two gold medals (bars and beam) at the European Championships earlier this June were her final sporting achievements.

In 10 years at the highest level, Derwael collected 11 medals at major championships. Her greatest triumph was at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, where she claimed gold on the uneven bars.

In the same discipline, Derwael was also world champion in 2018 and 2019. She is a four-time European champion as well, including once on the beam.

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Body is exhausted

“I have achieved what I wanted and could achieve. I have been able to prove what I was capable of,” Nina Derwael summarizes her career.

“Until today, I have always gone to the gym with great pleasure, because I simply love it and because I always had a clear perspective,” she continues.

“The European Championships in Leipzig was one such goal, even though I didn’t dare to count on gold. I could only fully train my routine a few times due to precaution and relied purely on experience.”

“It’s been beautiful, even very beautiful.” — Nina Derwael

“That made me realize that it simply can’t get better. If I want to be relevant again at a World Championship or Olympic Games, I would have to burden my body even more and longer,” says the Olympic champion from Tokyo, who also faced many injuries during her career.

“I no longer want to take that risk. In recent weeks, my mind increasingly asked: ‘Hasn’t it been enough? Is it worth putting my body on the line?’”

“And so, I have to conclude: it’s been beautiful. It’s even been very beautiful.”