The Dutch juniors and seniors dominated a dual meet against Great Britain, held in Eindhoven, March 16. With the European Championships just around the corner, the meet was held in the 5-3-3 format that will be used for the team competition at the European Championships in Patras April 18-21. The Netherlands competed six juniors and six seniors, while their guests brought five seniors and six juniors. The three routines that were to count towards the team total were determined before the start of the competition. After their strong showing throughout 2001 the Dutch team is hoping to continue their success this season. Blonde Berber van den Berg helped her junior team win by more than four points and put more than one point between herself (35,563) and team mate Mayra Kroonen 34,488), they were followed in the standings by two British girls Ashtone Johnstone and Alexandria Wilson, who both score 34,150.

Gabrielle Wammes, 13th AA at the 2001 World Championships, hat to sit out the competition with a sore back. She joined team mate Fieke Willems - still recovering from a foot injury - in chalking the bars for the rest of the squad. Verona van de Leur put in three strong efforts to lead her team to a convincing 5,90 point victory and snatched the individual title with 36,700. She started with strong tumbling on floor (piked full-in; double twisting front layout to punch front layout; whip 2 1/2 twist to punch front full; triple twist) for the only 10 SV of the entire competition. After nailing her double twisting Yurchenko van de Leur ironically came to grief on bars, normally her strongest piece, where a large break cost her dearly. Calm and composed she mounted beam and finished the day's work with a clean routine capped off with a 2 1/2 twist dismount.

Too young for Ghent, Suzanne Harmes has already done well as a junior. Floor looks easy for the powerful Harmes, who includes a piked full-in and a whip-triple twist in her routine. She staggered back on the landing her 1 1/2 twisting Yurchenko but was surefooted on beam (RO - layout mount; full-twisting ff; ff-layout; side somi; triple twist) to place a comfortable second. Elsewhere, disaster struck for Renske Endel on bars when her feet hit the low bar on a front giant. She lost her rhythm and had to jump off. She remounted but failed again. On her third attempt, she fell on her dismount. Looking utterly dejected, Endel collapsed onto a bench and wept for minutes. While she was inconsolable, her team easily swallowed the 7,175. Veteran Monqiue Nuijten pitched in with a 9,225 on beam with a lovely ff-Arabian combination and Rikst Valentijn sold her trademark tango floor well.

After a solid start on vault - handspring front pike from Holly Murdock, Beth Tweddle added a half twist - things didn't go well on bars. Rebecca Owen, who competed at the Gymnix meet in Canada last week, fell and Holly Murdock got through her routine, which included a full-twisting giant to Gienger, well but fell to one knee on her full-twisting double tuck dismount. Beth Tweddle was able to gain some momentum with her difficult routine (full-twisting giant - Gienger; Markelov). Beam devoured all three gymnasts. Holly Murdock fell on her mount and her dismount but showed beautiful extension in her switch leap - double stag Yang Bo leap combination. All three gymnasts tumbled well on floor with Tweddle opening with an Arabian double front and closing with a triple twist. Rebecca Owen added a piked full-in 2 1/2 twist to tucked punch front and a triple twist of her own. Katy Lennon closed the show for Great Britain with a piked full-in; front pike through to triple twist and a 2 1/2 twist.

nora schuler