Hobbies
Eating sushi, listening to music. (siad.cl, 08 Apr 2019)
Occupation
Athlete
Education
Human Movement Studies - Finis Terrae University, Santiago, CHI
Spoken languages
Spanish
Coach
Christian Bruno [national]
Injuries
An injury to his left ankle kept him out of the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, ON, Canada. (tomasgonzalez.cl, 28 May 2015)
He broke one of his fingers in 2005. (gymnastics.org.au, 15 Mar 2007)
Start sporting career
He took up gymnastics at age four. (centrodeportivotomasgonzalez.cl, 09 Aug 2017)
Reason for taking up the sport
His parents were gymnasts. (latercera.com, 16 Mar 2015)
Milestones
He was the first Chilean to finish on the podium in gymnastics at the Pan American Games and World Cup events. He also became the first Chilean male gymnast to qualify for the Olympic Games when he did so in 2012. (ilovechile.cl, 12 Jan 2012; gymnasticscoaching.com, 20 Nov 2011; intlgymnast.com, 11 Aug 2011)
Ambitions
To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (latercera.com, 31 Jul 2019)
Awards
In 2011 he received the National Sports Award from the Chilean government. (centrodeportivotomasgonzalez.cl, 09 Aug 2017)
Additional information
General
NAMED ELEMENT
In September 2018 the International Gymnastics Federation [FIG] included the 'Gonzalez' in the Code of Points. The move, which he first performed at the 2003 World Gymnastics Championships in Anaheim, CA, United States of America, is a backward flip with three-and-a-half turns. He posted a video of the exercise from 2003 on social media. "Today a dream has come true, I present you with the 'Gonzalez'. From now on this exercise will be registered with my name in the scoring code of the International Gymnastics Federation." (Instagram profile, 28 Sep 2018; fig-docs.com, 28 Sep 2018; latercera.com, 28 Sep 2019)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
In April 2017 he was voted president of the Chilean Gymnastics Federation. "I am in a retirement stage [of his career]. I will consider it year by year. I think I still can give something to my country. If I travel as an athlete I will not do it as the federation president and vice versa. I am not going to mix both things." (siad.cl, 08 Apr 2019; tomasgonzalez.cl, 09 Aug 2017; t13.cl, 10 Apr 2017)
ACADEMY
In February 2016 he opened the Tomas Gonzalez Sports Centre in Santiago, Chile, which is dedicated to developing talented artistic gymnasts. (tomasgonzalez.cl, 17 Feb 2016; centrodeportivotomasgonzalez.cl, 09 Aug 2017)
Last update : 2019-09-18
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