Overview
- Derwael, 25, announced her retirement from elite gymnastics on July 15 via social media shortly after marrying in Averbode.
- She cited heightened difficulty demands in the sport’s updated code of points as a key factor in her decision to step away.
- Belgium’s first gymnast to medal at European, World and Olympic levels, she pioneered the uneven bars skill officially named “The Derwael.”
- Her career highlights include Olympic gold on uneven bars in Tokyo 2020, two world championship titles on that apparatus and four European gold medals.
- The Belgian Gymnastics Federation will formally honor her contributions at an event in Brussels next month.