// Workers AI · dad joke modeWho's Marinde Smolders? A smoldering star.
| Marinde Smolders | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | c. 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Gymnastics career | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Wheel gymnastics | ||||||||||||||||||||
Country represented |  Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Marinde Smolders (born c. 2000) is a Dutch wheel gymnast. She is a World Championship silver medalist in straight line (2026).[1]
Career
[edit]Smolders began her athletic career at age of five in classical artistic gymnastics. At age 13, she discovered wheel gymnastics and decided to switch sports.[2]
She achieved international success in junior competitions: at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Magglingen, Switzerland, she won the bronze medal in vault.[3][4][5]
Following high school, she began studying psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she was supported as a student-athlete through the university's Erasmus Sport program.[6][7]
Smolders faced major health setbacks during her career. Roughly three years prior to the 2024 World Championships, she broke her ankle and tore ligaments, requiring a two-year rehabilitation period. In 2023, she successfully returned to active competition.[6][2]
In 2024, she capped her comeback on the national stage by winning gold medals in both all-around and vault at the Dutch National Championships (NK). For her achievements, she was honored in her hometown of Krimpen aan den IJssel at the "Avond van de Sport".[8] Later that year, she competed at the home World Championships in Almere, Netherlands.[6][9]
At the 2026 World Championships in Göttingen, Smolders achieved her greatest senior success to date by winning the silver medal in the straight line final.[1]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "IRV World Championships 2026 Göttingen Results". International Wheel Gymnastics Federation (IRV). 5 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- 1 2 Abdullayev, Samir (2023-11-24). "The wheel is her world: Marinde Smolders returns from a double injury". Erasmus Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ "2018 Junior World Championships Results" (PDF). GYMmedia. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ "13. Rhönrad-Weltmeisterschaften 2018 in der Schweiz" (in German). GYMmedia.de. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ BTVRhoenrad (2020-08-12). World Championships in Gymwheel 2018 Marinde Smolders. Retrieved 2026-07-23 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 3 "Article: Marinde Smolders". Erasmus Sport. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ Abdullayev, Samir (2023-10-18). "Increasing interest rates: 'I hope I will not have to take a bigger student loan'". Erasmus Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
- ↑ Avond van de Sport 2024 (in Dutch). Krimpen aan den IJssel / YouTube. 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
- ↑ BTVRhoenrad (2025-05-13). Marinde Smolders World Championships 2024 in Gymwheel Woman Semi Finals 13th Place. Retrieved 2026-07-23 – via YouTube.