Mechelen gymnast Jutta Verkest quits top sport at the age of 18: “Difficult, but also exciting decision”

18-year-old Jutta Verkest (Gymflex Mechelen) was a regular in the women’s gymnastics team. The highlight of her career was her participation in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Together with Nina Derwael, Lisa Vaelen and Maellyse Brassart, she finished eighth in the team final. Individually, she finished 23rd in the all-around final.

Verkest’s last competition was the Gymnastics World Championships in Antwerp at the end of 2023.

READ ALSO. Her decision had already been made: why Jutta Verkest (18) is now quitting as a gymnast at top sports level

“Every story has an ending, but in life every ending is just a new beginning. The decision to leave the sport, which has always been central to my life, is difficult and exciting at the same time. I have had highs and lows as a gymnast, victories and difficulties. They have all contributed to who I am as an athlete and a person,” says Verkest in her farewell post on Instagram. “Good luck to all athletes on their way to the Paris Games and beyond.”

In 2021, the year of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Verkest finished in 80th place in our election for Antwerpian of the Year.

READ ALSO. Jutta Verkest enchanted the Olympic gymnasium with her smile: “If you are in a good mood, everything goes better”