Laura van Leeuwen
Encyclopedia
Laura Antoinette van Leeuwen (born April 22, 1986 in Den Haag) is a Dutch
gymnast
. Van Leeuwen is allround, however the uneven bars and the vault are her best disciplines.
Her first notable moments came in 1999 when she took part in the Dutch National Championships, finishing 5th overall, 2nd on vault, 2nd on floor and becoming the uneven bars champion, which she also was in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 2001 she was Dutch champion on vault.
In 2002 she took part in the International Romanian Championships winning both the bridge and vault competitions and becoming fourth overall. At the 2002 Hypotheekshop Gymnastics Top she won the uneven bars and in that same year she would become 5th at that discipline in the World Championships. In 2003 she was part of the Dutch team that took part in the World Championships in Anaheim, but only finished in 16th position. Van Leeuwen represented the Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Olympics
where she finished the 46th place in the women's allround competition. That same year she was part of the Dutch team that became 8th at the European Championships. She finished 6th in the World Gymnastics Championships
meeting in Cottbus
at the uneven bars; In Chile
she won the uneven bars World Cup and finished 5th at the beam and 6th on the floor. She also reached an 8th place in Ghent
, a 5th place in Stuttgart
and an 8th place in Birmingham
all at uneven bars World Cup meetings.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
gymnast
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
. Van Leeuwen is allround, however the uneven bars and the vault are her best disciplines.
Her first notable moments came in 1999 when she took part in the Dutch National Championships, finishing 5th overall, 2nd on vault, 2nd on floor and becoming the uneven bars champion, which she also was in 2002, 2003 and 2004. In 2001 she was Dutch champion on vault.
In 2002 she took part in the International Romanian Championships winning both the bridge and vault competitions and becoming fourth overall. At the 2002 Hypotheekshop Gymnastics Top she won the uneven bars and in that same year she would become 5th at that discipline in the World Championships. In 2003 she was part of the Dutch team that took part in the World Championships in Anaheim, but only finished in 16th position. Van Leeuwen represented the Netherlands at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
where she finished the 46th place in the women's allround competition. That same year she was part of the Dutch team that became 8th at the European Championships. She finished 6th in the World Gymnastics Championships
World Gymnastics Championships
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique organises World Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines:...
meeting in Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
at the uneven bars; In Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
she won the uneven bars World Cup and finished 5th at the beam and 6th on the floor. She also reached an 8th place in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
, a 5th place in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
and an 8th place in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
all at uneven bars World Cup meetings.