Elvira Becks' name is virtually synonymous with Dutch gymnastics of the early 90s. As an international competitor, Becks achieved more success than any other Dutch gymnast before her. In 1992, she earned valuable international experience and national praise when she qualified to the vault event finals at the 1992 World Championships. That same year, Becks went on to place 22nd at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics - the best ever Olympic finish for a Dutch gymnast. Becks returned home from the Olympics a bonafide star. She appeared on many national television shows. During one of these televised appearances, she even sang a "thank you" song to her coach! Whether it was from her TV appearances in gymnastics competitions or her post-Olympic TV appearances, Becks had certainly caught the "entertainment bug." Shortly after the Olympics she enrolled in a dance academy in Amsterdam, with the aim of becoming a showgirl/dancer. Her hard work paid off, and for several years in the mid-1990s she enjoyed a leading role in the highly successful musical Joe , where she played a factory girl in WWII. In 1998, Becks joined Cirque du Soleil's Alegria troupe, earning wider experience in the performing arts. Alegria is a travelling production, so Becks has spent time living in many cities. She started out in Montreal, Canada and now resides in Biloxi, Mississippi. Despite her success in life outside of gymnastics, Becks has retained close ties to the gymnastics community, balancing her newfound career with time in the gym as a coach. One gymnast that Becks has assisted in coaching is Marleen Deuning, a member of Holland's 1999 World Championship team. In mid-2000, Elvira and her boyfriend, former Soviet gymnast Alexander Dobrynine, became the proud of parents of a baby girl. Baby Elsa was born in Mississippi. The Dutch gymnastics site GTV De Hazenkamp has a wonderful photo of Elvira and baby Elsa. Elvira Becks was born on May 8, 1976Many thanks to Richard for providing all of this excellent information about Becks' life since the 1992 Olympics, including the birth of her baby girl! Thanks to Kimberly for updating me on Alegria's current site of production.. This page was created on June 21, 1999 and last updated on November 6, 2000. |
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