Dutchman Casimir Schmidt made a strong start at the 2026 Dutch Championships in Rotterdam, finishing fifth in the men’s all-around competition with a score of 78.150 despite dealing with a nagging shoulder injury. Hopes were high that he would secure a spot at his 11th European Championships, set to take place in Zagreb in August. But Schmidt, a former Olympian, revealed that he would have to withdraw from the selection trials after his shoulder injury became impossible to push through.

The 30-year-old shared the disappointing news with fans on Instagram on Monday: “Unfortunately, I’ve had to make the decision to not participate in the Euros trials. The reason is that I have too much pain, caused by a shoulder problem. Therefore, I’m out of European Champs, but that gives me time to heal up and hopefully be ready to shine in @rotterdam2026 💪💪. To all the guys that are trialing for the team: SMASH IT! 🤝”

Schmidt’s decision comes just weeks before the European Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships get underway in the Croatian capital. The competition will run from August 19 to August 23. And even though his eyes are set on the World Championships, which will take place in Rotterdam this October, missing out on the upcoming event will be annoying for Schmidt, considering how he performed last year.

Schmidt had recently secured a top-eight finish at the continental championships. He produced one of the best performances of his career at the 2025 European Championships in Leipzig, Germany. After qualifying 13th, the Dutch star finished eighth in the men’s all-around with 80.098 points, helping the Netherlands place sixth in the team competition, behind France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Great Britain. His absence this year will be a major blow for the Dutch team, which loses an athlete with more than a decade of experience competing at the highest level.

Schmidt represented the Netherlands at the Paris 2024 Olympics, adding to an international career that has spanned more than a decade. Alongside his Olympic appearances, he has enjoyed success both at home and abroad, winning four Dutch national all-around titles in 2013, 2019, 2023, and 2024. One of his biggest international achievements came at the 2015 European Games in Baku, where he claimed the silver medal on vault. However, his career has also been hampered by a series of injuries.

One of the toughest periods of Schmidt’s career came in 2021. He underwent surgery for a toe injury and missed the Dutch Olympic selection trials. Later that year, he was selected for the World Championships in Kitakyushu but had to withdraw because of shoulder and ankle injuries. His injury troubles continued in 2022, when ankle surgery ruled him out of the European Championships in Munich. It was one of the few times he missed the continental event after making his debut in 2014.

Schmidt is not the only Dutch gymnast dealing with injury concerns ahead of this year’s European Championships. Fellow Olympian Eythora Thorsdottir has also been forced to change her plans after picking up a recent injury, adding to the Netherlands’ selection headaches.

Eythora Thorsdottir suffers an injury scare ahead of the European Championship selection

During the European Championships selection events, Dutch Olympian Eythora Thorsdottir revealed she would miss the rest of the trials after suffering a minor calf muscle tear. Although the injury was not considered serious, she and her team decided to take a cautious approach to avoid making it worse.

Like Schmidt, Thorsdottir has dealt with several injury setbacks during her career. Even so, she remains one of the Netherlands’ most accomplished gymnasts. The two-time Olympian represented her country at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, finishing ninth in the individual all-around in Rio. She enjoyed a breakthrough at the 2017 European Championships, winning silver on balance beam and bronze on floor exercise, before adding another European silver on floor in 2019.

Thorsdottir also played a key role in helping the Dutch women’s team win bronze at the 2023 European Championships and is now focused on returning to full fitness.

Although their European Championship plans have been disrupted, both Schmidt and Thorsdottir remain focused on the bigger picture. With the World Championships in Rotterdam still to come, the Dutch stars will be hoping their cautious approach now pays off when it matters most.