Naomi Visser is a reputation that I’ve been seeing within the standings of main competitors for years. However plainly with every passing 12 months I solely see her identify increasingly. Naomi’s trait up to now few years is she solely appears to grow to be extra impactful, extra related, and extra of an element with every competitors. It isn’t a single routine that makes her so spectacular, however that I maintain seeing her identify time and time once more.
Naomi is a workhorse for the Dutch program. As a Seventh-year senior Naomi has didn’t earn a significant task she was eligible to compete in on simply 4 events since 2017. However half of these events got here in 2017 when she was a 1st-year senior. Since 2018 she has appeared in 9 of 11 competitions between the European Championships, World Championships, and Olympics.
However essentially the most hanging statistic is that the one time Naomi has didn’t make All-Round finals in high-level competitors was the very first time she competed in a significant, senior-international competitors on the 2018 European Championships. However on the 2018 European Championships she was solely allowed to compete on vault and was ineligible for the All-Round. In different phrases, Naomi Visser has a report of eight consecutive appearances in All-Round Finals, on eight makes an attempt at competing All-Round, whereas solely having 9 profession competitions.
In lately years Naomi Visser has been notably profitable within the All-Round. The final time she really struggled within the All-Round was the 2019 World Championships the place she completed outdoors the top-20 in each {qualifications} and All-Round Finals. However ever since then Naomi Visser has completed contained in the top-10 on all however one event. The lone exception being the 2022 World Championships the place she certified within the #9 place however a nasty displaying in All-Round Finals left her in 18th place. However given her qualification outcomes have been so sturdy, Visser’s All-Round expertise was clearly seen.
However Naomi Visser’s different energy is in Occasion Finals. Since 2022 there have been two European Championships and one World Championships. Between these three competitions Visser has three consecutive appearances in uneven bars finals and three consecutive appearances in ground finals. On this time interval and ensuing three-competition stretch she has technically certified into half of all equipment finals. Add in her All-Round outcomes and Visser has participated in 60% of all the person occasions on the World Championships and European Championships degree.
However sadly, Naomi Visser has by no means received a medal in any of the person occasions between the European Championships or World Championships. After I acknowledged beforehand that in her complete seven 12 months senior profession Naomi Visser has missed out on making the Dutch lineup on solely 4 events between any of the main competitions, a kind of 4 events was the 2021 Olympics. Regardless of being one of the crucial impactful Dutch gymnasts of the last decade, Naomi Visser will not be an Olympian.
So as to add insult to harm, Visser was slated to journey to the Olympics as an alternate the place she may have at the least obtained a few of the Olympic expertise as a token appreciation for all her onerous work. However a optimistic Covid take a look at proper earlier than the Olympics prevented her from touring with the staff.
Naomi Visser’s uncommon rise is that of a gymnast who can so simply be dismissed as unimportant at first look, however concurrently be a gymnast who retains showing time and time once more in direction of the highest of the ultimate standings. She appeared so many occasions that finally Naomi should now be categorized as one of many highest within the sport. The rise of Naomi Visser wasn’t a case the place she shot into stardom in a single day. She is a gymnast who first appeared on the backside of the standings, then saved reappearing many times till we at the moment are compelled to take her severely. All whereas Visser remains to be ready for that first elusive medal in any of the person occasions of main competitors.
There’s a particular feeling when it got here to witnessing the rise of Naomi Visser as a result of she rose to prominence in such a gradual style. Gymnasts win followers over with their superb athletic feats and lovable personalities. After which there’s Naomi Visser who for thus lengthy seemed to be unimportant and no totally different from any of the opposite gymnasts. However then her significance grew on you and one can solely respect the best way Naomi made you alter your thoughts about her.
In gymnastics fandom, the most effective emotions to have is passionately rooting for a gymnast you by no means anticipated to grow to be one among your favorites. If a gymnastics fan can overcome that preliminary opposition, she or he is aware of that the traits making her so likable are actual.
However this isn’t all that makes Naomi particular, as a result of one among my favourite particulars about her profession is the truth that she is just 21 years outdated. The trio of Elisabeth Seitz (age 29), Becky Downie (age 31), and Sanne Wevers (age 31) profitable medals in Occasion Finals on the 2023 European championships was additional proof that the “little woman” period of ladies’s gymnastics is useless whereas getting older veterans are nonetheless viable medal threats.
However on the decrease age brackets one other pattern is rising, that being so many gymnasts don’t hit their stride till they have already got years of expertise on the senior degree. Angelina Melnikova famously went on a scorching streak in her early 20s. However so did Rebeca Andrade, Alice Kinsella, Martina Maggio, Jordan Chiles, Coline Devillard, Zsofia Kovacs, and Shilese Jones.
Within the present period essentially the most dominant age bracket are gymnasts of their early 20s. Extra strikingly, it’s proper round age 21 or 22 the place the careers of so many gymnasts begin to actually get fascinating. In girls’s gymnastics, there’s nothing extra indicative of future success than a gymnast who is true round her twenty first birthday displaying great enchancment and consistency.
That description suits to a tee the out of the blue profitable Naomi Visser who simply so occurs to be 21 years outdated. If her 60% participation fee within the particular person occasions isn’t sufficient to offer one pause, the similarities she has in profile to so many different medal winners of the present period is additional reassurance that this can be a gymnast one should watch. All whereas being beneath the tutelage of a coach with a longtime monitor report of manufacturing essentially the most profitable Dutch gymnasts up to now.
However even when Naomi doesn’t obtain breakout success within the type of future medals, I really feel she has already earned the proper to be handled a peer amongst the medal contenders. If you qualify to Occasion Finals as regularly as Naomi Visser have, you need to be handled with the identical respect as all the opposite high gymnasts. As a result of solely the easiest within the sport make Occasion Finals with this a lot frequency.
