A great way to finish her amazing career. Inventing a new way to be competitive on Beam, by connecting superb leaps, jumps, & turns.
Olympic balance beam champion 2016 from the Netherlands, Sanne Wevers, officially retired on October 19, 2026, following the qualification round at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam.
Sanne is now 35 years old. Decided in 2025 to comeback just for this World Championships at home. She competed 2010 World Championships in Rotterdam, as well.
Started in 2018, this award aims to put a gymnast with an exceptional story in the spotlight, someone who is an inspiration for the future generation of gymnasts and the general public alike.
Marios Georgiou has written some of the most remarkable chapters in the history of Cypriot gymnastics.
After making his Olympic debut at Rio 2016, he quickly established himself as one of the country’s leading gymnasts and a pioneer on the international stage. In 2018, he enjoyed a breakthrough year, winning the All-Around and Horizontal Bar titles at the Mediterranean Games, as well as two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games. A year later, he made history again by winning bronze in the European All-Around in Szczecin – Cyprus’ first-ever European gymnastics medal.
In 2022, Georgiou became the first Cypriot gymnast to win a European title, taking gold on Horizontal Bar in Munich. His greatest achievement came in 2024, when he became the first Cypriot European All-Around Champion in Rimini (scoring over 14 points on 4 apparatuses, highlighted by magnificent parallel bars and horizontal routines). This incredible performance also secured him a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he reached the Horizontal Bar final and finished an impressive sixth — another historic first for Cyprus. A fantastic year for Marios Georgiou, crowned “Male Gymnast of the Year” with more than 50% of the votes.
In Zagreb, Marios Georgiou added another medal to his impressive collection, claiming silver on the high bar.
Beyond his impressive medal tally, Georgiou’s career is a story of perseverance, consistency and determination. By breaking new ground at almost every major stage of his career, he has become a true inspiration for young gymnasts in Cyprus and far beyond.
— International Gymnast Media (@2023igmedia) August 14, 2026
Andrianova is the granddaughter of legendary Russian gymnasts Lyubov Burda Andrianova and the late Nikolai Andrianov, and the daughter of Sergei Andrianov, a coach of the Russian national team.
These photos were taken 59 years apart and both feature a 14 year old gymnast in the first big competition of her young career. They are grandmother and granddaughter. pic.twitter.com/7vPR8W3k3j
Burda Andrianova was a member of the gold medal-winning Soviet team at the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games, the 1970 World Championships and the Munich 1972 Olympic Games. She placed fifth all-around at both the 1970 Worlds and Munich 1972 Games, and tied for bronze on vault at the 1970 Worlds.
Andrianov competed at three Olympic Games from 1972-80, amassing seven gold (all-around in 1976), five silver and three bronze medals. He won a combined 13 world championships medals, including all-around gold in 1978, at the three worlds held from 1974-79. …
When I was about 10 years old, I did my P Bar routine at the Calgary Stampede alongside Mitsuo Tsukahara and Shiro Tanaka. I was the local kid showing off with two of the best in the world.
Mitsuo Tsukahara is today best remembered for the Tsukahara Vault.
American gymnast Hal Shaw performed the same vault at the 1968 NCAA Championships, where it was known in the United States as the “O-Shaw.”
At the 1970 World Championships in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, Mitsuo introduced the new vault to great international acclaim scoring 9.75.
