Catching up with Noémie Louon.
After a challenging year Noémie Louon decided to end her career as an elite gymnast early November 2023.
When she was 4 she started gymnastics at the Royal Espoir Club in Beaufays. The club near Liege was home to 1992 olympian Bénédicte Evrard. Noémies agility and grace were obvious at a very young age. She was selected to train in the high-performance centre of the francophone gymnastics federation in Mons. Where she developed under the guidance of David Spagnol and Virginie Heuls. After the primary school, she moved to Ghent to train in performance centre of the Flemish gymnastics federation, overseen by Yves Kieffer and Marjorie Heuls.
Noémie at the 2022 European Championships' Team Final in Munich.
In 2018 she was a member of the Belgian junior team that finished 6th at the European championships in Glasgow. Noémie also finished 13th all- around.
In 2019 Noémie and her teammates Lisa Vaelen and Stacy Bertrandt finished 5th at the very first Junior World Championships. Noémie also finished 7th in the uneven bars final and 11th all-around. At the 2019 International Gymnix Noémie won gold in the balance beam final, silver with the team and bronze on uneven bars and floor.
As a member of the Belgian team, she finished 5th at the European championships in Munich. She was also selected to compete at her first World Championships in Liverpool. Unfortunately she injured her knee badly during the podium training. She was dedicated to recover in time for the World Championships in Antwerp in 2023. The goal was to help the team qualify for the Paris Olympic Games but her knee rendered a solid preparation impossible.
A few weeks after the world championships, the valuable team member closed her gymnastics chapter. She now studies architecture in Liege.
Earlier this month Belgian gymnastics checked up with Noémie.
Belgian gymnastics: How are you? Tell us about your current life.
Noémie: “I’m fine. Right now I’m enjoying my life as a student. I hang out with friends and go out. “
Belgian gymnastics: What is the most memorable moment or achievement as an athlete?
Noémie: “There are several highlights: my first European Junior Championships in Glasgow, the 4 medals I won at Gymnix 2019, the Junior World Championships in Győr and the 2022 European Championships in Munich. I’m also happy I was able to travel to Tokyo 2021 as an alternate.
Looking back, I’m proud of what I accomplished. I have no regrets."
Belgian gymnastics: How did your gymnastics career shape you as a person outside the gym hall?
Noémie: “I believe that every challenge has helped me to grow.Perserverance, independence, the drive to succeed and the desire and the determination to surpass my own limits.”
Belgian gymnastics: What challenges have you had to overcome during your career, and how did you approach them?
“I had to overcome several challenges: staying focused, dealing with injuries, balancing personal and athletic life. The knee injury I sustained in Liverpool was very difficult, both mentally and physically. Some days I could do everything in training, but on other days I was hardly able to walk.”
Belgian gymnastics: Are there specific individuals or coaches who have had a significant influence on your athletic development?
Noémie: “My first coach Isabelle Kint was really important. Without David Spagnol and Virginie Heuls, I would never have been able to go to Ghent. They always had my back throughout my career. Of course Yves Kieffer, Mathieu Zimmerman, Valentina Soldentakova and Marjorie Heuls were all very important. To motivate me, to listen, to learn me good techniques. I wouldn’t have accomplished anything without them, my mum, family and friends.”
Belgian gymnastics: What advice would you give to young athletes striving for an elite gymnastics career?
Noemie: “Be dedicated, disciplined, and try to train consistent. Be open to feedback from your coaches and teammates. Take good care of yourself. Take injuries seriously and get enough rest.”
Belgian gymnastics: What are your future plans now that you have retired?
Noémie: “There is so much more to discover! I’d like to become a skilled architect and I hope to pursue a Masters degree in a another country."
Belgian gymnastics: Would you ever consider returning to the sports world, whether as a coach, judge, commentator, or in another role?
Noémie: “I have achieved all my goals in gymnastics and have closed that chapter for now. I still love the sport so I never say never.”
Belgian gymnastics: Thanks for the chat and good luck!
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