20. Januar 2005  
Manacor/ Spain  
Artistic Gymnastics

Spain s former World Champion Elena Gomez ends her career

Elena Gomez (ESP)

(nbb) – In future Spain’s national gymnastics team will have to deal without floor World Champion Elena Gomez.
After having injured herself (fracture of her pubic bone) last year while training in Manacor, the 20-year old gymnast from Mallorca has now decided to end her career.
Gomez won the first and up to now only World Championship title in women’s artistic gymnastics for Spain at the World Championships 2002 in Debrecen/ Hungary. Now Elena wants to move to Valladolid and to look for a job.

World Champion on floor at the WCh's 2002 in Debrecen.

About her injury she says: «At first we didn’t think it was that bad, but after having spoken to serveral doctors it became clear that the injury is chronic and that it would prevent me from doing gymnastics on a high level in future, especially on floor.»
Spain’s head coach Jesus Carballo is very sad about this decision of his best gymnast: «Always when a champion like her goes, also a part of her coach goes. I don’t want to say that I’m getting older now, it’s more that I’m getting wiser, and I won’t find another gymnast with her human qualities in future anymore!»
Among the fans worldwide the 1.50m small gymnast from Spain has been one of the favourites during the last years.
Source/photos: nbb