Gymnastics hero Toba calls it a day: Leipzig is the final destination

At almost 35, the Olympic hero from Rio has had enough and is ending his gymnastics career. Andreas Toba will be in the German squad for the last time at the upcoming European Championships in Leipzig. "I have had a very long career, with many ups and downs, and have achieved more than I ever dreamed of," explained Toba in a statement released by the federation. "I am very grateful for the unforgettable moments. "His performance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil is particularly memorable. In the team qualifiers, the then 25-year-old suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and was actually out. But Toba, who will turn 35 in October, refused to give up, especially not to let his teammates down.

So he had his right knee taped as tightly as possible and still performed on the pommel horse. This effort also helped the team qualify for the final, finishing in seventh place. The "Hero de Janeiro" was born.

Silver on high bar

The team-oriented all-rounder has a total of four Olympic appearances to his name. Winning the silver medal on the high bar at the 2021 European Gymnastics Championships in Basel is Toba's greatest individual success.

"Of course I would have liked to continue, but unfortunately I've struggled a lot with my body in recent years, so I've now decided to enjoy the privilege of being able to perform at my home European Championships once again and thus find the perfect ending for me," explained Toba, who competes for Hanover.

Next generation of gymnasts in focus

He made his first major international appearance at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He is now "looking forward to the new challenges" and to "seeing gymnastics from a different perspective", said Toba.

He wants to stay involved in his sport in the future: "I would like to pass on my experience and knowledge to the next generation of gymnasts and help to advance gymnastics in Germany."