With the announcement of the Flandres International Team Challenge which will take place in Ghent, Belgium on the 30th and 31st of May I was immediately gutted not to be able to attend. Between 2010 and 2012 I went to three editions of the Ghent World Cup and you will see below why I would go to this beautiful city for a 4th , a 5th , and a millionth time.
(However, don’t feel too sorry for this gymnastics blogger, as the reason for not going to Ghent is that at the same dates I will be in Italy for the 4 nations cup.)
The city
Two and half hours by train from my former location, Ghent was close enough that I could travel back and forth for the competition. However, I would not recommend it as the city is stunning and is worth visiting. Here are pictures taken mostly by my friend Luisa, my travel companion to Ghent, in the mornings before the competition:
And here are the pictures taken at night. You are not missing out if you will be spending the day in the gym as the town has a vibrant nightlife:
The meet
The Topsporthal is the venue where all three editions took place. Located just 25 minutes by bus from the city centre.
We appreciated that we could move around the arena to wherever our next point of interest would be. But wherever you would be seated you are close to all apparatuses and can follow multiple events at the same time.
Below, pictures from 2011 – Vika Komova on beam, view of the venue from the press zone, Jessica Lopez preparing her uneven bars.
The gymnasts
Looking through our old pictures, I also found pictures of the medalists from 2011. This was right before Worlds.
But the nicest part was not seeing who was going to win. It was just watching two full days of gymnastics and being with these athletes in a cozy setting and a cheerful atmosphere.
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So, are there around any people that are going to go to Ghent for the next meet?
Article by: Bea Gheorghisor
Photo Cover: Luisa & Bea