Katja Abel

Katja Abel ( born April 8, 1983 in Berlin) is a former German gymnast. She won at the European Championships 2006, a bronze medal in jump and was twice German -around champion.

Life

Katja Abel, daughter of the silver medalist at the Olympic Games in 1972, Irene Abel, started five years Preussen Berlin with the gymnastics. Here her mother was her first coach.

In third grade she went to the sports school in Berlin to train there under Yuri Robel. Three years later became coach Steffen Gödicke their care, who oversaw 2007 until her move to Stuttgart.

Sporting successes

Successes in the junior (1996-1999)

In 1996 she had a German champion in heptathlon in the jump and at the bottom of the age group (AK) 13 her first big success. A year later, she won the title in the AK 14 in the all around, on vault, uneven bars and the balance beam. In 1998, the title in the all around and on bars were added in the AK 15. On other devices, she won the silver medal. So she had qualified for the European Junior Championships in St. Petersburg. Here they reached the 13th place with the team 7th place and in the all around. With the team, the SC Berlin, in 1999 she became all-around runner-up in the Bundesliga. In the same year occurred in her back problems, so they could deny no competitions for almost a year.

Initial success in the seniors (2000-2004)

2000 Abel started for the first time in the seniors and won the German championship in the jump. These reach their three third-place finishes in the all around, on balance beam and uneven bars. This year they won the Bundesliga finale with the SC Berlin, where it reached number three in the singles competition. The World Cup of 2001 in Ghent earned her an eighth rank with the German team. At the German Championships, she won her first title in the all around (together with Birgit Schweigert ) and also in the jump and on the uneven bars.

In advance of the German Championships 2002 Abel was injured and could not defend their title. Nevertheless, she was nominated for the individual devices Championships in Debrecen, here she was disqualified, however, not least because of their poor condition, already in the qualifier.

The following year, the pre-Olympic year 2003, Katja Abel was able to continue their great successes of 2001 and became German champion in both the all-around and on vault and uneven bars. The German Championships were among the first qualification for the world championships, where it came to qualifying for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Also, the second nominating contest she won, and thus led the German team at the World Championships in Anaheim. There, the goal Olympic qualifying with the 13th place by 0.04 points was extremely narrowly missed. Abel himself could only occupy 68th place in the individual standings.

This could not start a German women's team in Athens. However, Germany had secured under the Olympic regulations twin starting places. All hopes to be able to perceive one of these starting places, Abel, however, had to go to a training accident buried. On February 6, 2004, she fell from the uneven bars and suffered a fracture of both forearms. That same evening she was operated on, 10 days later. This was followed by a lengthy rehabilitation period, in the " none of the doctors could tell her if she ever would again properly can do gymnastics ."

Comeback and re-injury (2005-2006)

Only at the German Championships in May 2005, as part of the German Gymnastics Festival in her hometown of Berlin, Abel did gymnastics again in public. She stepped on the balance beam. "This is the only device on which I can cheat, because I 'm almost without arms ," she said after her freestyle, she finished among the enthusiastic applause of 5,000 spectators at the Velodrome.

The national coach was impressed: " A gymnast with such an incredible will, that would be certainly a boost for our team. " Denied Fall / Winter 2005 Katja Abel again Bundesliga matches for their new team, the Tus Chemnitz- Altendorf. First, also only on balance beam, then from the end of October 2005, again at the other devices. With their Bundesliga team she reached the second place in the league final.

In March 2006, Abel came after a long break at the International Tournament of Champions in Cottbus. With No. 5 on vault she landed a remarkable placement here.

In April of the same year followed by winning the bronze medal in the jump competition at the European Gymnastics Championships in 2006 in Volos, the largest ever international success. "Now I know for sure that the hard work has paid off! " So Abel won after 19 years again the first European medal for the German women's gymnastics

But a short time later Katja Abel was hit by injury problems. During warm- before the first qualifying Gymnastics World Cup 2006, she suffered a severe injury to the ankles, and therefore had to be operated on again. So she could neither participate in the 2006 World Cup still in the German Championships this year.

Olympic qualification and Olympic Games (2007-2008)

The beginning of 2007, after her foot injury was over, she moved to Bundesliga Club KTV Stuttgart. Here they trained together with Kim Bui and Marie -Sophie Hindermann, supervised by Tamara Khokhlova.

In July 2007, Abel won at the German Championships in casting the title at the bottom, silver on balance beam and jumping as well as bronze in the all around. Subsequently, the preparation began on the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships 2007 in Stuttgart. Here Abel was with the German team place 10th in the team standings and thus qualify for the 2008 Olympics.

The Olympics began in 2008 as the European Championships in April in Clermont -Ferrand. Here cut the German team, led by Katja Abel, very well and took place in the end 7

In June 2008, Abel won the national title on the uneven bars and the balance beam, finished second on the floor and jumping as well as third in the all around. Subsequently, she was nominated for the Olympic Games of Beijing.

There, she won with the team to 12th place and was eliminated thus prematurely. Katja Abel, who was not in full possession of her powers by a slight foot injury, finished second in the individual standings ranked 40th in qualifying.

In addition to the athletic career

Katja Abel was inducted into the sports promotion group of the Bundeswehr in 2003 and completed in October / November 2003 a shortened military service .. In the television series Hallo, Onkel Doc! Katja Abel made ​​a guest appearance, she was playing the gymnast Laura.

In Stuttgart, Abel took a 2007 study of biology and of sport.

After the active time (since 2009)

After the 2008 Olympics Abel announced her departure from active competitive sports and returned to her hometown of Berlin. On January 11, 2009, it was officially adopted as a competitive athlete.

Your study of sport and biology Abel broke off after the Olympics and moved to the Technische Universität Ilmenau to study Media Studies.

In the spring of 2009, she agreed to once again compete in the Bundesliga for the team from Stuttgart after there another Bundesliga gymnast had been canceled due to injury.