2018 Worlds : What to expect from Team Belgium?

Here we go again! On Thursday, the World Championships will begin in Doha (Qatar), gathering more than 500 gymnasts that will fight for the 42 medals that will be awarded. What to expect from Team Belgium? Preview.

Credit : Senna Deriks Instagram

These World Championships will be the first step towards the 2020 Olympic Games, as the first 3 teams in the team final will automatically be qualified. The top 24 teams in qualifications will advance to the 2019 World Championships.

In Doha, Belgium is represented by a men and a women's team. The men's team will compete on Thursday. Maxime Gentges, Noah Kuavita, Dennis Goossens, Luka Van den Keybus and Jonathan Vrolix will start on vault in the 2nd subdivision of the day. This team is a really talented one, possibly the best Belgium ever had. The goal is of course the top 24 but if they go clean, they can very well reach the top 16, which would be the best result ever by a Belgian men's team at a World Championships. The team is well balanced, with strong vaults, impressive performances on floor from Jonathan, on high bar from Noah, on pommels from Maxime, on parallel bars from Luka and on rings from Dennis. In addition to the team competition, at least one of them should qualify for the all-around final, while Dennis Goossens has a shot at qualifying for the rings final.

Credit : FfG Instagram

On the women's side, the team is composed of Nina Derwael, Maellyse Brassart, Axelle Klinckaert, Senna Deriks and Rune Hermans. The girls recently won a friendly meet against Romania and the Netherlands and showed they were ready during podium training. This team has the potential to place in the top 12 as a team, which is the official target, but if they all go clean, they could very well get close to the top 8. Their best result is an 11th place in 2014 and 2015. Individually, two of them should qualify for the all-around final. Start lists have yet to be released, but Nina and Axelle should do the all-around in qualifications. Senna is more likely to go on vault and bars, Maellyse on vault, beam and floor, with Rune competing on bars, beam and floor. Nina Derwael is also in contention for the bars final, where she'll have a chance to defend her bronze medal from last year, and Axelle has a shot at making the floor final, after she got bronze at the European Championships this summer. The girls will start on floor on October 27th, in the very first subdivision.

Programme (Belgian time):

25/10/2018 - 8:00:  Qualifications MAG (Belgium - Subdivision 2)

26/10/2018 - 8:00: Qualifications MAG

27/10/2018 - 8:00: Qualifications WAG (Belgium - Subdivision 1)

28/10/2018 - 8:00: Qualifications WAG

29/10/2018 - 15:00: Team final MAG

30/10/2018 - 15:00: Team final WAG

31/10/2018 -15:00: All-around final MAG

01/11/2018 - 15:00: All-around final WAG

02/11/2018 - 15:00: Event finals

03/11/2018 -15:00: Event finals

There will be no livestream for the qualifications but you can follow the scores live on the FIG website. The finals will be broadcasted on Sporza. And of course, follow us on Twitter for quick updates!