Mayra Kroonen posted the highest all-around total at the first of two World Championship selection meets Sunday in Amsterdam.
Kroonen scored 54.65 overall, more than seven tenths short of the 55.375 automatic World team qualifying mark set by the Dutch Gymnastics Federation, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported.
Mayra Kroonen, 2009 Dutch Championships Prelims, Uneven Bars:
Marit Ewald and World Cup beam medalist Sanne Wevers (53.550) tied for second behind Kroonen. (Note: The Dutch Gymnastics Federation's website reported that Wevers scored 53.350, which would put her third behind Ewald).
Suzanne Harmes, the Netherlands's only female gymnast to compete at last year's Olympic Games, competed on floor and beam but did not look in top form, according to the newspaper.
2009 Dutch champion Lichelle Wong, who will be competing for UCLA this winter, did not participate in the qualification.
The second World Championship qualifier will be held Sept. 12-13, also in Amsterdam. The 2009 World Championships are happening in London Oct. 13-18.
Back in action: Gabriella Wammes, whose younger brother Jeffrey is a member of the Dutch National team, returned to competition, scoring 13.2 on floor exercise. Wammes, 23, was a member of the Dutch women's team that placed fifth at the 2001 World Championships and second at the 2002 Europeans. She was troubled by back problems and retired in 2004 after the Dutch women failed to qualify a team to the Athens Olympics.
Gabrielle Wammes, 2009 Fame SVOD-open (June), Floor Exercise:
Deurloo leading: Bart Deurloo, who competed at the 2008 European Championships, won the mistake-filled men's competition with 85.050, ahead of high bar standout Epke Zonderland (81.8), Herre Zonderland (81.35) and Wammes (76.65). The Dutch Federation's report noted that many of the team members seemed injured, out of shape or just using the meet as a training exercise.
The Dutch Gymnastics Federation set the men's automatic qualifying score at 85.000, so Deurloo's spot on the World team is secure.
Bart Deurloo, 2008 European Championships Team Finals, Parallel Bars:
2010 Words in Holland are a go: The Federation also reported that thanks to three new sponsors, the 2010 World Championships set to take place in Rotterdam are definitely happening. The World Championships were thrown into question several months ago when the Dutch were reported to be having trouble generating the funds needed to host the meet.
The municipality of Rotterdam, the province of South Holland and the Dutch Ministry of Health have stepped in to close the funding gap.
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