Jermain Grünberg selected for World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam

◆2 sources

Jermain Grünberg, 26, was selected for his fifth World Gymnastics Championships, to be held in Rotterdam. The gymnast from Tilburg said he had recovered from a difficult year marked by the death of his stepfather and back problems, after reducing his training load in consultation with his coach.

Grünberg will compete as part of the team rather than individually and said competing at home brings added pressure. He aims to finish among the top eight teams and has primary qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a longer-term goal.

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Netherlands finishes World Judo Championships without a medal

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The Netherlands finished the World Judo Championships in Baku without a medal after heavyweight Jur Spijkers, the final Dutch competitor, lost by ippon to Czech judoka Lukáš Krpálek in the repechage. It was the first time since 2017 that the Dutch team left a World Championships without a medal. Joanne van Lieshout reached the semi-finals in the under-63kg class but lost by ippon to Japan's Haruka Kaju and then lost her bronze-medal contest to Mongolia's Enkhriilen Lkhagvatogoo. World Championship debutant Yael van Heemst also lost her under-78kg bronze contest, to Germany's Anna-Maria Olek by ippon within two minutes. Earlier, Amber Gersjes, Naomi van Krevel and Shannon van de Meeberg were eliminated in their opening rounds or second bouts.

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Joanne van Lieshout prepares for World Judo Championships

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Judoka Joanne van Lieshout, 23, is preparing for the World Judo Championships in Baku after training in Japan. She enters the tournament as the 2024 world champion and the reigning European champion. Van Lieshout said she feels physically and mentally ready. She previously struggled with expectations after winning the world title in 2024, but has returned after what was described as a necessary break and says she is now able to handle the pressure surrounding the championships.

Sports

Marianne Vos wins Gravel World Championships

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Marianne Vos won the Gravel World Championships in Nannup, Australia, claiming her second world title in the discipline and her 15th cycling world title overall. The 39-year-old Dutch rider finished solo after 126 kilometres, largely on unpaved roads. Vos had been riding with Germany's Rosa Klöser late in the race, but Klöser crashed a few kilometres from the finish. Vos said the course was muddier than expected and described the title as special after a difficult year.

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Lavreysen wins team sprint and keirin titles at Track Cycling World Championships

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Harrie Lavreysen, Jeffrey Hoogland and Roy van den Berg defended the Netherlands’ men’s team sprint title in Shanghai, beating Australia in the final after setting the fastest times in qualifying and the preceding round. It was Lavreysen’s 21st track world title. A day later, Lavreysen retained his keirin title, winning the discipline for a fifth time and taking his total to 22 world titles. Hoogland was eliminated in the keirin quarter-finals. Matthew Richardson, described as Lavreysen’s main rival, did not compete after being removed from the British squad. The British cycling association gave no reason; reports citing British media said an investigation concerned allegations of discriminatory messages and behaviour. In the women’s events, the Dutch team sprint trio of Kimberly Kalee, Hetty van de Wouw and Steffie van der Peet did not reach the final, and Van de Wouw lost her individual sprint title to Emma Finucane in the quarter-finals.