Finnish gymnast robert carmes He may be one of the youngest members of the gymnastics world, but he’s growing on his strengths as he prepares for the Cairo World Cup in mid-February and ultimately the Paris Olympics this summer. ing.
Quilmes’ immediate family and relatives represent two generations of gymnastics talent, dedication, and success on and off the competitive podium.
His older brother is a 2016 Olympian Oscar Quilmes. His father and main coach, Matty QuilmesHe represented the Soviet Union, and his mother Lina, participated as a representative of Sweden. His uncle is from Lithuania; Sergei LamboutisHe represented the Soviet Union, and his aunt Sarah Lamboutis, a former coach, member of the Swedish Women’s Technical Committee and an international referee.His cousins include 2020 Swedish Olympians david lambuchisformer gymnast and current coach Adina Lamboutis and Julia Lamboutis.
Gymnastics may be in Quilmes’ blood, but he has carved out an identity for himself as an international gymnast since his world championship debut in 2019.
A veteran of seven previous World Cups or World Challenge Cups and three World Championships, Quilmes placed 18th in the individual overall at the 2021 Kitakyushu World Championships and reached two finals at the 2023 Mersin World Challenge Cup. Still, he finished in 6th place. his eighth on rings and parallel bars.
Cairo marks a confident new start for Quilmes. Quilmes is nearing a full recovery from the broken ankle he sustained at last spring’s European Championships in Antalya, where he still landed short of his reach as he exited the ring during the final rotation. He underwent surgery last October and has resumed his floor exercise training.
Born on January 15, 2000 in Elvsbyn, Sweden, Kilmes is the president of Esporn Terinetaiturit Club. He lives in Helsinki and his coaches are his father Mati, who is his main coach; Timo Holopainennational team coach.
In this interview with International Gymnast Online, Quilmes outlines his planned journey to Paris, starting with the Cairo World Cup from February 15-18.
Go: The Cairo World Cup is the first start of this important Olympic year. What kind of equipment and routine will you perform in Cairo?
RK: Regarding the World Cup, I’m still not sure which equipment to start with. We still have two more tournaments here at home to decide who will play and what they will do. I would like to compete on pommel horse, rings, and parallel bars. My routine will be my regular routine with a few small upgrades. I’d love to do floor, but I don’t think my ankle will be completely fit enough to participate in a full floor routine in February.
Go: After Cairo, what other steps do you plan to take to qualify for Paris?
RK: Regarding the World Cup, we are only looking at the first two tournaments to gain experience before the European Championship in April. My goal at the European Championships is to achieve the individual all-around again and fight for the last chance to qualify for the Olympics.
Go: How do you feel about your position, not only as Oscar’s brother and teammate, but also as one of his rivals to qualify for Paris?
RK: It’s not easy to be the best sibling rival. But I know that no matter what happens, gymnastics will never come between us and we will always support each other and encourage each other.
Go: What do you think about the potential best results as an all-rounder or as one or more devices?
RK:I think the best chance for me is in the overall. I’m not a special expert or especially good at any particular piece of equipment, but I’m a strong overall candidate. I’ve tried every piece of equipment and tried to overcome challenges everywhere. So my goal for this year’s European Championships is to do well all-around and hope to be in the top 10.
Go: You made it to the individual all-around final at the 2021 World Championships, but how has your gymnastics evolved since then to compete individually at future major competitions such as the European Championships, the Olympics, and the World Championships this spring? Have you grown to the point where you can challenge the overall final? Championship?
RK: Compared to the 2021 World Championship, the difficulty level has grown considerably. Last fall, when I got on the podium at the Challenge Cup, I started feeling a lot more confident. I feel like that was a big step for me. Since 2021, I have become much stronger both physically and mentally.
The Finnish squad in Cairo includes the Kilmes brothers, Akseli Karsikas, Elias Koski, Jona Reiman, Pavel Titov, Maisa Kusikko and Kaia Tanskanen.
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