Eerste WK-finale zet Nederlandse turnster Sanna Veerman op scherp voor 2023

Sanna is geinterviewd door International Gymnast Online.

First world championships final revs up Dutch gymnast Sanna Veerman for 2023

Four years after serving as reserve on her team at the world championships, Dutch gymnast Sanna Veerman broke into the starting lineup and placed fifth on uneven bars at this fall’s Worlds in Liverpool.

Veerman’s busy agenda starting in 2019 provided experience that yielded her success and confidence this year, and she is revved up for future competitions in 2023 as well as the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Interview: International Gymnast Online
Photo: Sanna Veerman (NED) at the 2022 World Championship in Liverpool

Born January 29, 2002, in Edam-Volendam, Veerman trains under coaches Wolther Kooistra and Claudia Werkhoven at Turnz Amsterdam Gymnastics. She finished 16th all-around at the 2016 Junior European Championships in Bern, and as a first-year senior she was reserve for the 10th-place Dutch team at the 2018 Worlds in Doha. Earlier this year Veerman was second on uneven bars and eighth on balance beam at the World Cup of Cottbus, and sixth on uneven bars at the Challenge Cup of Varna.

In this International Gymnast Online interview, Veerman details the ambitious lead-up to her 2022 achievements, her Worlds breakthrough performance and her 2023 plans that includes one very unusual New Year’s resolution.

IGO: Since your role as reserve for the team in Doha four years ago, what progress did you feel you made, both in your program and psychologically, to make it into the starting roster in Liverpool?

Sanna: 2018 was my first year as a senior so I was still quite young. I knew it was just the beginning of my career so it was great that I went along to Doha and could experience it all. I just got back to work quickly and was motivated to work on my program. I have been training more difficult elements for a long time, but in 2019 I started to bring that to competitions as well. On bars it worked out well with my first European senior final (eighth on uneven bars). Unfortunately I missed the (2019) World Championships in October because of a qualification where everything didn’t go as planned. In 2020 there were almost no competitions due to corona, but in 2021 my coach and I decided to do more competitions. I did a few for the German club Karlsruhe, which I really enjoyed, and other smaller competitions to get used to doing my routines more often under pressure. In 2022 I also did a number of World Cups at the beginning of the year, testing various bars routines in particular to see what works well with the new Code (of Points). Of course it wasn’t fun at that time if it didn’t work out well, but I learned a lot from it, which eventually led to a place in the final of a World Championships.

IGO: In the bars final in Liverpool, how close to ideal was your performance?

Sanna: My score in qualifications (14.533) was my best ever. Of course I could do things better and have better execution but I was very happy with that score at that moment. In the final I scored lower and that could have been better, but I knew that if I wanted to win a medal, I needed at least a 14.7, and I couldn’t expect that from myself if I was realistic. So I just wanted to do a good routine and be proud of myself for being in this final.

IGO: With a higher E-score you might have won a medal. What executions fixes do you plan, and also, what if any changes to the difficulty of your routine do you plan?

Sanna: I know very well that if I want to get a medal in the future, my execution has to be better, and I work very hard on that every day. So that’s where most of the focus is, because that’s where I can still gain a lot. I also train on upgrades, but those will probably not be major adjustments for next year.

IGO: You finished 16th all-around at the 2016 Junior Europeans, and in addition to your bars silver in Cottbus earlier this year, you made it into the beam final. What expectations do you have for getting an all-around spot in the team in 2023 and beyond, and what will you need to change in your current program to accomplish that?

Sanna: Of course I want an all-around spot for the team in 2023, but the main goal for us is to qualify for the Olympics as a team. It would be very cool if I am a part of that! Now with more experience and upgraded routines, it is my job to stay healthy and be stable at the trials, and then it can be possible.

IGO: How will you spend the upcoming holidays?

Sanna: I have a few days off and I will celebrate them in Austria with family and friends. My parents have friends who have a house there where we go almost every year, and my brother moved to Austria because he is in love with the mountains. I totally understand that because the Netherlands is so flat! One day I hope that he will come back to the Netherlands and I can see him more often, because I miss him and we have a very good relationship.

IGO: What are your New Year’s resolutions, in and out of the gym?

Sanna: My New Year’s resolutions – that is a good question. Gymnastics-wise it is to be a part of the team which is going to qualify for the Olympics. And of course to stay healthy and enjoy the training and competitions! Out of the gym, I want to finish the third year of my studies, try to spend more time with family and friends, and to find out how to sneeze with your eyes open. I know you can’t do that.