German giant Fabian Hambuchen deservedly got a lot of press when he became Germany’s Sportsman of the Year 2007 in December.
Much less fanfare has been made about rising German talent Anja Brinker, a 17-year-old from Herkenrath who was 10th all-around at the 2007 European Championships. Brinker’s specialty, like countrywoman Marie-Sophie Hindermann’s, is the uneven bars.
Anja Brinker, 2007 European Championships Event Finals, Uneven Bars:
The German women’s team, which also includes Hindermann, former Soviet Oksana Chusovitina, Katja Abel and possibly Utah sophomore Daria Bijak, is formidable. Imagine if they had Jana Bieger as well!
It seems almost certain that the U.S. and China will be the top two women’s teams in Beijing this summer, but with those five, who knows? German gymnastics might even be in a position to upset a Romania or Russia for a bronze. Too bad Bieger resists trying to make the German team…
(via GYMmedia.com)
Tags: Anja Brinker, Daria Bijak, Fabian Hambuchen, Jana Bieger, Katja Abel, Oksana Chusovitina
February 22, 2008 at 10:56 pm |
That is one fugly B pose.
February 27, 2008 at 4:06 pm |
I don’t think it’s a bad thing that Beiger isn’t trying for the German team. I wouldn’t fault her for it if she did but I also don’t fault her for not wanting to try to be “German for the Olympics” just to get what she wants. Maybe she doesn’t feel that it’s honest or fair to compete for a country that she has no plans of living in.
April 27, 2008 at 12:33 pm |
I think it’s more likely, that Jana still hopes to be on the US olympic team. Being on the team would (almost) secure her a medal in the team competion, maybe even gold. With the German team, it would be way harder for her to win a medal…. and gold would be out of reach
August 10, 2008 at 12:48 pm |
Anja is my favourite… An unearthly beauty with great gymnastic skills.