Ming van Eijken
{{short description|French artistic gymnast}}
{{Infobox gymnast
| name = Ming Gherardi van Eijken
| image = European Championships 2022-08-14 Junior Women Apparatus finals Victory ceremony (Norman Seibert) - DSC 0526 (cropped).jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = van Eijken at the 2022 European Championships
| full_name = Ming Gherardi van Eijken
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| altname =
| nickname = Mingou
| country = {{FRA}}
| formercountry =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2008|04|03|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Hong Kong
| spouse =
| training =
| height =
| discipline = WAG
| natlteam = 2021–present (FRA)
| club = Gym'Dans' Francheville
| gym = Pole France Saint-Etienne
| collegeteam =
| headcoach = Monique Hagard, Marie Angélique Colson, Julien Kerninon
| assistcoach =
| formercoach = Eric Hagard
| choreographer = Monique Hagard
| music =
| eponymousskills =
| retired =
| worldranking =
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{FRA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|European Championships}}
{{MedalBronze|2024 Rimini|Team}}
{{MedalBronze|2024 Rimini|Vault}}
{{MedalBronze|2025 Leipzig|Team}}
{{MedalCompetition|Junior World Championships}}
{{MedalBronze|2023 Antalya|Vault}}
}}
Ming Gherardi van Eijken (born 3 April 2008){{cite web |title=2nd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships Antalya (TUR), 29 March - 2 April 2023 Women Entry List by NOC |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/2023/mw_23jrworlds.pdf|website=USA Gymnastics|publisher=International Gymnastics Federation|pages=9|date=2 April 2023}} is a French artistic gymnast. She is the 2023 Junior World Championships and 2024 European bronze medalist on vault. She represented France at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Personal life
Van Eijken was born in 2008 in Hong Kong. She began gymnastics when she was three years old in France.{{cite web|url=https://www.gymnastics.sport/site//athletes/bio_detail.php?id=82781|title=Ming van Eijken FIG Profile|work=International Gymnastics Federation}} She was born to a Dutch father, French mother, and has an Italian grandfather.{{cite web | url=https://www.spotgym.fr/ming-gherardi-je-ne-pensais-pas-avoir-les-capacites-pour-faire-du-haut-niveau-mais-il-est-venu-a-moi/ | title=Ming Gherardi : "Je ne pensais pas avoir les capacités pour faire du haut-niveau mais il est venu à moi" }}
Junior gymnastics career
= 2022 =
Van Eijken competed at the 2022 City of Jesolo Trophy where she helped France finish sixth as a team.{{cite web|url=https://usagym.org/u-s-gymnasts-sweep-junior-and-senior-team-titles-all-around-gold-at-2022-city-of-jesolo-trophy-competition/|title=U.S. gymnasts sweep junior and senior team titles, all-around gold at 2022 City of Jesolo Trophy competition|date=April 9, 2022|work=USA Gymnastics}} In August she competed at the European Championships where she helped France finish fifth as a team.{{cite web|url=https://www.europeangymnastics.com/news/2022-junior-european-all-around-and-team-champions-helen-kevric-ger-and-italy|title=The 2022 junior European all-around and team Champions … Helen Kevric (GER) and Italy!|work=European Gymnastics|date=August 12, 2022}} During event finals van Eijken won silver on vault behind Sabrina Voinea.{{cite web|url=https://www.europeangymnastics.com/news/sabrina-voinea-martina-pieratti-anna-laschevska-and-amalia-puflea-crowned-junior-european|title=Sabrina Voinea, Martina Pieratti, Anna Laschevska and Amalia Puflea crowned junior European Champions!|date=August 14, 2022|work=European Gymnastics}}
= 2023 =
In March van Eijken competed at the DTB Pokal Team Challenge where she helped France place fourth as a team. Individually she won gold on vault and placed fifth on floor exercise.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffgym.fr/content/2023_-_03_-_g_a_m-g_a_f_-_resultats_d_t_b_pokal|title=GAM-GAF - 5 Médailles Lors De La DTB Pokal|trans-title=MAG/WAG - 5 medals at the DTB|language=fr|work=French Gymnastics Federation|date=March 20, 2023}} Van Eijken was selected to compete at the 2023 Junior World Championships in Antalya, Turkey alongside Lana Pondart and Lilou Viallat; the team finished in eleventh place.{{cite web |title=2nd FIG Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships Antalya (TUR), 29 March - 2 April 2023 Women's Team Final Ranking |url=https://usagym.org/PDFs/Results/2023/w_23jrworlds_team.pdf |website=USA Gymnastics |publisher=International Gymnastics Federation|date=30 March 2023}} Individually van Eijken qualified for the vault final. During the final van Eijken performed two clean vaults and won the bronze medal behind Mia Mainardi and July Marano, earning France its first ever Junior World Championship medal.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffgym.fr/content/2023_-_03_-_g_a_mg_a_f_-_c_m_j_-_resultats|trans-title=MAG/WAG - JWC - Historic Bronze for Ming Gherardi van Eijen|title=GAM/GAF - CMJ - Du Bronze Historique Pour Ming Gherardi van Eijken|language=fr|date=April 3, 2023|work=French Gymnastics Federation}}
Senior gymnastics career
= 2024 =
Van Eijken was selected to make her senior international debut at the 2024 Trophy of Jesolo where she won gold on vault. In May she competed at the European Championships alongside Marine Boyer, Lorette Charpy, Coline Devillard, and Morgane Osyssek.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffgym.fr/Actualite/2024_-_04_-_g_a_f_-_c_e_2024_-_lequipe_de_france_feminine_devoilee|trans-title=WAG - EC 2024 - The French Women's Team Revealed|title=GAF - CE 2024 - L'équipe de France Féminine Dévoilée|language=fr|work=French Gymnastics Federation|date=April 4, 2024}} During event finals she won bronze on vault behind teammate Devillard and Valentina Georgieva of Bulgaria. During the team final van Eijken helped France win the bronze medal behind Italy and Great Britain.
In July van Eijken was officially selected to represent France at the 2024 Olympic Games alongside Boyer, Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos, Devillard, and Osyssek.{{cite web|url=https://www.ffgym.fr/Actualite/2024_-_06_-_g_a_f_-_j_o_2024_-_la_composition_de_lequipe_de_france_feminine_est_desormais_connue|title=GAF - JO 2024 - La Composition De L'équipe De France Féminine Est Désormais Connue|language=fr|work=French Gymnastics Federation|trans-title=WAG - OG 2024 - The Composition Of The French Women's Team Is Now Known|date=July 7, 2024}} They finished eleventh in qualifications and did not advance to the team final.{{cite web|url=https://thegymter.net/2024/08/05/2024-olympic-games-results/|title=2024 Olympic Games results|work=The Gymternet|date=August 5, 2024}}
Competitive history
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%;" | |||||||
| align=center | Year
! align=center | Event ! style="width:30px;" | Team ! style="width:30px;" | AA ! style="width:30px;" | VT ! style="width:30px;" | UB ! style="width:30px;" | BB ! style="width:30px;" | FX | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| colspan="8" | Junior | |||||||
| rowspan="4" | 2021 | align=left | French Championships | {{bronze3}} | |||||
| align=left | Swiss Cup Juniors | {{bronze3}} | 13 | |||||
| align=left | Elite Gym Massilia | 4 | 5 | |||||
| align=left | French National Team Review | 4 | ||||||
| rowspan="5" | 2022 | align=left | French Test Meet | 4 | |||||
| align=left | City of Jesolo Trophy | 6 | 28 | |||||
| align=left | Haguenau Friendly | {{gold1}} | 11 | |||||
| align=left | French Championships | 6 | {{bronze3}} | |||||
| bgcolor=#F5F6CE
| align=left | European Championships | 5 | {{silver2}} | |||||
| rowspan="5" | 2023 | align=left | DTB Pokal Team Challenge | 4 | {{gold1}} | 5 | |||
| bgcolor=#CCCCFF
| align=left | Junior World Championships | 11 | {{bronze3}} | |||||
| align=left | French Championships | 10 | {{gold1}} | 4 | ||||
| align=left | Épernay Friendly | {{silver2}} | 13 | {{gold1}} | ||||
| align=left | Tournoi International | {{bronze3}} | {{gold1}} | 4 | ||||
| colspan="8" | Senior | |||||||
| rowspan="4" | 2024 | align=left | City of Jesolo Trophy | 5 | {{gold1}} | ||||
| bgcolor=#F5F6CE
| align=left | European Championships | {{bronze3}} | {{bronze3}} | 8 | ||||
| bgcolor=98FB98
| align=left | Olympic Games | 11 | {{abbreviation|R2|van Eijken was the second reserve for the vault final}} | |||||
| align=left | Christmas Cup | {{silver2}} | ||||||
| rowspan="2" | 2025 | align=left | French Championships | {{gold1}} | {{gold1}} | {{gold1}} | |||
| bgcolor=#F5F6CE
| align=left | European Championships | {{bronze3}} | 7 | 7 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:van Eijken, Ming}}
Category:French female artistic gymnasts
Category:Hong Kong female artistic gymnasts
Category:Medalists at the Junior World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
Category:21st-century French sportswomen
Category:Gymnasts at the 2024 Summer Olympics
Category:Olympic gymnasts for France
Category:French people of Dutch descent
Category:French people of Italian descent
Category:Hong Kong people of French descent