Veronica Wagner
Encyclopedia
Isabella Minna Veronica Wagner, better known as Veronica, (born July 7, 1987 in Stockholm
, Sweden
), is a Gymnast
who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics
as a member of the Swedish Olympic team
. She is coached by Staffan Söderberg.
Veronica started Gymnastics at the age of 5 and progressed quickly through the sports levels, qualifying as an International Elite at the age of 12. Veronica is Sweden's most successful gymnast, having won the national title 7 times (2002, 2004–2008 and 2011) as well as representing her country at Olympic, World Championship and European Championship level. Veronica has also been a finalist at several World Cup events and the 2009 World All Around Final.
Veronica is a powerful and innovative gymnast, particularly on the floor exercise where she has pioneered the double picked front which she successfully competed at the 2006 European Gymnastics Championships. She performed well at this competition, with a score that would have been good enough to place her 13th if an All Around competition was held. Veronica competed with the Swedish team at the 2006 World Gymnastics Championships
, and while the Swedish Team did not qualify for the 2007 World Gymnastics Championships, serving as qualifiers to the Olympics, Veronica qualified as an individual to compete. Veronica stated in an interview with International Gymnast Magazine that her goals for 2007 were to win a World Cup Medal and qualify to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Veronica achieved both of these goals. At the 2007 Gymnastics World Championships, Veronica qualified to her second Olympic games, placing high enough to qualify as an individual competitor for Sweden. She also had World Cup success in 2007. She won the silver medal on Vault at the Maribor World Cup, held in Slovenia
and two Gold medals (Vault and Balance Beam) and a Bronze (Floor) at the Buenos Aires World Cup.
After winning the Swedish Championships in June 2008, Veronica was told that the Swedish Olympic Committee would not send her to the Beijing to compete in the Olympic Games. A fan-driven petition was created in protest.
After this disappointment, Wagner continued to compete in gymnastics. At the 2009 World Championships, she qualified to the World All Around final for the first time in her career.
2003 Northern European Championships - 2nd AA, 1st FX, 1st BB, 7th UB, 1st V
2003 Swedish Championships - 2nd AA
2003 Swedish Cup - 1st AA
2004 Swedish Championships - 1st AA, 1st V
2004 Olympic Games - 55th AA
2005 Swedish Championships - 1st AA, 1st FX, 2nd BB, 8th UB, 2nd V
2005 World Championships - 30th AA
2006 Swedish Nationals - 1st AA, 1st FX, 1st BB, 2nd UB, 1st V
2006 Ghent World Cup - 6th V
2006 French Interntational - 6th BB, 5th FX
2006 North European Championships - 1st AA, 2nd UB, 1st BB, 1st FX
2006 World Championships - 62nd AA
2007 Maribor World Cup - 2nd V, 7th BB
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
), is a 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...
who competed 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...
as a member of the Swedish Olympic team
Sweden at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Gold:*Stefan Holm — Athletics, Men's High Jump* Christian Olsson — Athletics, Men's Triple Jump* Carolina Kluft — Athletics, Women's Heptathlon* Henrik Nilsson and Markus Oscarsson — Canoeing, Men's K-2 1000 m- Silver:...
. She is coached by Staffan Söderberg.
Veronica started Gymnastics at the age of 5 and progressed quickly through the sports levels, qualifying as an International Elite at the age of 12. Veronica is Sweden's most successful gymnast, having won the national title 7 times (2002, 2004–2008 and 2011) as well as representing her country at Olympic, World Championship and European Championship level. Veronica has also been a finalist at several World Cup events and the 2009 World All Around Final.
Veronica is a powerful and innovative gymnast, particularly on the floor exercise where she has pioneered the double picked front which she successfully competed at the 2006 European Gymnastics Championships. She performed well at this competition, with a score that would have been good enough to place her 13th if an All Around competition was held. Veronica competed with the Swedish team at the 2006 World Gymnastics Championships
World Gymnastics Championships
The Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique organises World Gymnastics Championships for each of the gymnastic disciplines:...
, and while the Swedish Team did not qualify for the 2007 World Gymnastics Championships, serving as qualifiers to the Olympics, Veronica qualified as an individual to compete. Veronica stated in an interview with International Gymnast Magazine that her goals for 2007 were to win a World Cup Medal and qualify to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Veronica achieved both of these goals. At the 2007 Gymnastics World Championships, Veronica qualified to her second Olympic games, placing high enough to qualify as an individual competitor for Sweden. She also had World Cup success in 2007. She won the silver medal on Vault at the Maribor World Cup, held in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
and two Gold medals (Vault and Balance Beam) and a Bronze (Floor) at the Buenos Aires World Cup.
After winning the Swedish Championships in June 2008, Veronica was told that the Swedish Olympic Committee would not send her to the Beijing to compete in the Olympic Games. A fan-driven petition was created in protest.
After this disappointment, Wagner continued to compete in gymnastics. At the 2009 World Championships, she qualified to the World All Around final for the first time in her career.
Results
2002 Swedish Championships - 1st AA2003 Northern European Championships - 2nd AA, 1st FX, 1st BB, 7th UB, 1st V
2003 Swedish Championships - 2nd AA
2003 Swedish Cup - 1st AA
2004 Swedish Championships - 1st AA, 1st V
2004 Olympic Games - 55th AA
2005 Swedish Championships - 1st AA, 1st FX, 2nd BB, 8th UB, 2nd V
2005 World Championships - 30th AA
2006 Swedish Nationals - 1st AA, 1st FX, 1st BB, 2nd UB, 1st V
2006 Ghent World Cup - 6th V
2006 French Interntational - 6th BB, 5th FX
2006 North European Championships - 1st AA, 2nd UB, 1st BB, 1st FX
2006 World Championships - 62nd AA
2007 Maribor World Cup - 2nd V, 7th BB