Verona van de Leur

Verona van de Leur (born 27 December 1985) is a retired Dutch artistic gymnast and adult film performer. She was named Dutch Sportswoman of the Year in 2002 after winning the all-around silver medal at that year's European championships and the silver medal on floor exercise at the world championships.

Verona van de Leur
Personal information
Full nameVerona van de Leur
Country represented Netherlands
Born (1985-12-27) 27 December 1985
Gouda, The Netherlands
DisciplineWomen's artistic gymnastics
LevelSenior International
Former coach(es)Boris Orlov
Retired2008

Van de Leur retired from gymnastics in 2008, after which she suffered personal difficulties, including a conviction for blackmail and a prison sentence. She began performing in adult webcam shows and then in adult films.[1][2]

Biography

Van de Leur, born in Gouda, South Holland, the Netherlands, began with gymnastic at 5 years of age at gym T.O.O.S. Waddinxveen. At the age of 9, she started to train at Pro Patria in Zoetermeer.

Her first national appearance was at the Dutch National Championship in 2000. She was the junior Dutch all-around champion and won three event finals. One year later, in 2001, she was the Dutch all-around women's champion. With the Dutch team she surprising took the fifth place in the World Championship in Ghent. This performance made them the Dutch sports team of the year 2001.

2002 was Van de Leur's break-out year on the international stage. She won five medals at the European Championship in Patras, Greece, including silver medals in the team competition, the all-around (behind Svetlana Khorkina) and on beam.[3] She also won a bronze medal on floor exercise. Many believe Verona should have won gold on the floor exercise finals, due to a judging error that cost Van de Leur 1/10 of a point, dropping her to 3rd place. Van der Leur then won silver on the floor exercise at the World Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, and gold at the World Cup Finals on the same apparatus. She was elected 2002 Dutch Sportswoman of the Year and once again they were sports team of the year.

Van de Leur and Renske Endel were drawn as a reserve for the World Cup of 2003 in Anaheim and the Dutch team was not placed among the top twelve. Therefore, the gymnast didn't qualify for the Olympics in Athens. Then it came to a rift between her coach Frank and Van de Leur, leading her to move to The Hazenkamp in Nijmegen, the club of trainer Boris Orlov. In 2007, Van de Leur won the Dutch all-around champions for the fourth time. At the National Championships in Nijmegen she also won gold on beam and floor exercise and bronze on bars.

On 19 June 2008, Van de Leur publicly announced her retirement from gymnastics. Conflicts with the gymnastics federation and a lack of motivation also caused by a problematic situation at home, have reportedly played an important role in her decision.[4]

In early May 2011, Van de Leur was convicted of blackmailing an adulterous couple she had been following.[5] She served 72 days in prison.[1]

Adult performances

After being homeless for two years and in jail, Van de Leur saw a way out in late October 2011 with the adult film industry.[6] She decided to work as a webcam girl and then started her own adult website,[7] which includes adult films.[1] She only worked with her boyfriend and quit as an adult performer in November 2019.[8]

Competitive history

CompetitionTotalApparatus
All aroundTeamVaultBarsBeamFloor
Zoetermeer Toekomst Tournament 19956
Dutch national championship 19953
Dutch national championship 1996855
Ecoair (international tournament, NL) 199741
Dutch national championship 199734242
France – Netherlands 199881
Dutch national championship 19985456
Berolina Cup 199872
Leverkusen Cup 19982
Ecoair (international tournament, NL) 19981
Clubteam Nationals 19981
Budapest Cup 199811
Sidijk Tournament 19992
Lugano Cup 199911
Como Cup 199921
Dutch national championship 199921123
European Youth Olympic Days 19993353
Berolina Cup 199931
Clubteams Nationals 19991
HGT (international tournament, NL) 19993
Honeywell Cup 1999116111
Youth Europeans 200011334
Dutch National Championship 200011113
Beronila Cup 200041
HGT (international tournament, NL) 20001112
Clubteams Nationals 20001
Massilia Cup 2000615
Parijs Bercy 2001614
Cottbus 200146
Cottbus Winners Final 20011
Ploiesti 20016213
Dutch National Championship semi final 200111112
Dutch National Championship 200113111
World Championship 20019568
Massilia Cup 200153413
HGT (international tournament,NL) 200112111
Clubteam Nationals 20011
Glasgow 20012221
USA Visa Cup 200233622
Cottbus 20023
Cottbus – Winners Final 20022
European Championship 200222233
Dutch National Championship semi final 200211231
Li Ning Cup 20022132
Dutch National Championship 200211211
HGT (international tournament, NL) 2002111
Massilia Cup 20024312
World Championship 200272
DTB World Cup Final 20023371
World Championship 2003
World Championship final 20047
Dutch National Championship 20053
European Championship 20079
Dutch National Championship 20071311
European Championship 200889

In culture

Van de Leur is the subject of the song Verona van de Leur by Ellen ten Damme [9]

References

  1. "Het bizarre leven van Verona van de Leur". Helden Online (in Dutch). 24 October 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  2. "NRC - Nieuws, achtergronden en onderzoeksjournalistiek".
  3. "Khorkina beats Dutch challenge for European hat-trick". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
  4. "Turnen is leuk, maar zonder spelletjes".
  5. "Van de Leur Pleads Guilty to Extortion'". 19 April 2011.
  6. Matt Majendie; Don Riddell. "Verona van de Leur: The star gymnast who reinvented herself as a porn actress". CNN. Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  7. "Verona van de Leur: 'Mannen zijn gebruiksvoorwerp'". De Telegraaf. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2011.
  8. Matt Majendie; Don Riddell. "Verona van de Leur: The star gymnast who reinvented herself as a porn actress". CNN. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
  9. "Ellen ten Damme - Verona van de Leur". 27 December 2016. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
Awards
Preceded by
Inge de Bruijn
Dutch Sportswoman of the Year
2002
Succeeded by
Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel
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