Marinde Smolders

Marinde Smolders
Bornc. 2000
Gymnastics career
DisciplineWheel gymnastics
Country represented
Medal record
Women's wheel gymnastics
Representing  Netherlands
World Championships
Silver medal – second place2026 GöttingenStraight line
Junior World Championships
Bronze medal – third place2018 MagglingenVault

Marinde Smolders (born c. 2000) is a Dutch wheel gymnast. She is a World Championship silver medalist in straight line (2026).

Career

Smolders began her athletic career at age of five in classical artistic gymnastics. At age 13, she discovered wheel gymnastics and decided to switch sports.

She achieved international success in junior competitions: at the 2018 Junior World Championships in Magglingen, Switzerland, she won the bronze medal in vault.

Following high school, she began studying psychology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, where she was supported as a student-athlete through the university's Erasmus Sport program.

Smolders faced major health setbacks during her career. Roughly three years prior to the 2024 World Championships, she broke her ankle and tore ligaments, requiring a two-year rehabilitation period. In 2023, she successfully returned to active competition.

In 2024, she capped her comeback on the national stage by winning gold medals in both all-around and vault at the Dutch National Championships (NK). For her achievements, she was honored in her hometown of Krimpen aan den IJssel at the "Avond van de Sport". Later that year, she competed at the home World Championships in Almere, Netherlands.

At the 2026 World Championships in Göttingen, Smolders achieved her greatest senior success to date by winning the silver medal in the straight line final.

References

  1. 1 2 "IRV World Championships 2026 Göttingen Results". International Wheel Gymnastics Federation (IRV). 5 July 2026. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 Abdullayev, Samir (2023-11-24). "The wheel is her world: Marinde Smolders returns from a double injury". Erasmus Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  3. ↑ "2018 Junior World Championships Results" (PDF). GYMmedia. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  4. ↑ "13. Rhönrad-Weltmeisterschaften 2018 in der Schweiz" (in German). GYMmedia.de. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  5. ↑ BTVRhoenrad (2020-08-12). World Championships in Gymwheel 2018 Marinde Smolders. Retrieved 2026-07-23 – via YouTube.
  6. 1 2 3 "Article: Marinde Smolders". Erasmus Sport. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Abdullayev, Samir (2023-10-18). "Increasing interest rates: 'I hope I will not have to take a bigger student loan'". Erasmus Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  8. ↑ Avond van de Sport 2024 (in Dutch). Krimpen aan den IJssel / YouTube. 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  9. ↑ BTVRhoenrad (2025-05-13). Marinde Smolders World Championships 2024 in Gymwheel Woman Semi Finals 13th Place. Retrieved 2026-07-23 – via YouTube.