Epke Zonderland
He redefined gymnastics with his breathtaking high-bar flights, soaring to Olympic gold and becoming the first man to win three world titles on the apparatus.
Born 1986 (age 40)·Dutch gymnast·Birthday: April 16·Millennials
Biography
Epke Zonderland won Olympic gold on the high bar at the 2012 London Games with a routine that strung together consecutive release moves and ended with a stuck landing. The Dutch gymnast, nicknamed 'The Flying Dutchman,' made his Olympic debut in 2008. That London performance became the defining moment of his career. He continued to push the apparatus's boundaries afterward, winning World Championship golds on the high bar in 2013, 2014, and 2018 — an unprecedented three titles on the same event. Zonderland competed in four Olympic Games across a decade and a half. His gymnastics combined raw power with balletic control. He performed dangerous releases with a calm demeanor that made the impossible look routine. His impact extended beyond medals: he inspired a generation of gymnasts to treat the high bar as a canvas for flight.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Epke was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Epke Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Epke's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1991Started school
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 40
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Olympic gold medal on the high bar at the 2012 London Games.
- Became the first male gymnast to win three World Championship gold medals on the high bar (2013, 2014, 2018).
- Competed in four consecutive Olympic Games from 2008 to 2020.
- Earned the nickname 'The Flying Dutchman' for his spectacular release-and-catch sequences.
Did You Know?
He is a qualified medical doctor, having graduated from the University of Groningen.
His father was a gymnast and his mother a gymnastic judge.
He performed the first 'Kovacs' release move in combination with another release move in Olympic competition.
“I don't see the risk. I see the move I have to do.”
