Maartje Ruikes

Maartje Ruikes
Full nameMaartje Ruikes
Born (1996-06-27) 27 June 1996 (age 28)
Zevenaar, Netherlands
Gymnastics career
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
Country represented Netherlands
ClubHazenkamp
Head coach(es)Edwin Zegers
Retired2017[1]

Maartje Ruikes (born 27 June 1996) is a retired Dutch artistic gymnast.[2]

Career

Ruikes competed at the 2014 GBR-NED International Friendly where she tied for the all-around gold medal with Jin Yi Hoekstra and won the bronze medal on the balance beam behind Lieke Wevers and Ruby Harrold.[3] At the 2014 Dutch Championships, she won the silver medal in the all-around behind Lisa Top.[4] At the Rencontre Internationale, the Dutch team won over France and Austria, and Ruikes won the gold medal on the vault.[5] She was then selected to compete at the 2014 World Championships alongside Lisa Top, Lieke Wevers, Céline van Gerner, Vera van Pol, and Sanne Wevers, and the team finished 10th in the qualification round.[6] Ruikes had her balance beam mount named after her at the World Championships as she was the first one to perform it at a major international competition.[7]

Ruikes competed at the 2015 Flanders International Team Challenge where the Dutch team finished 7th.[8] She also competed at the Netherlands-Great Britain Friendly where the Dutch team finished 2nd, and individually, Ruikes finished 10th in the all-around.[9]

At the 2016 Sidijk Tournament, Ruikes won the silver medal on the uneven bars behind Lisa Top,[10] but on the floor exercise, she tore her Achilles tendon- taking her out of contention for the 2016 Olympic team.[1] After over one year of rehab and two surgeries, Ruikes decided to retire.[1][11]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Maartje Ruikes". Vrouwen in Sport (in Dutch). 1 March 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  2. ^ "RUIKES Maartje". Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  3. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (27 April 2014). "2014 GBR-NED Friendly Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  4. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (22 June 2014). "2014 Dutch Championships Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  5. ^ "Dutch women, French men victorious at pre-Worlds Friendly in Rouen". Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  6. ^ "45th ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in Nanning (CHN) Women's Qualification" (PDF). Gymnastics Results. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Meet the eight new elements in Women's Artistic Gymnastics!". Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique. 21 November 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  8. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (30 May 2015). "2015 Flanders International Team Challenge Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  9. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (4 October 2015). "2015 Netherlands-Great Britain Friendly Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  10. ^ Hopkins, Lauren (28 February 2016). "2016 Sidijk Tournament Results". The Gymternet. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Maartje Ruikes stopt: 'Waar haal je na twee jaar nog de motivatie vandaan?'". Droog (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 April 2021.