Name: Mara Titarsolej
Club: GTV de Hazenkamp, The Netherlands
High School Graduation Year: 2019
NCAA Team: LIU
Commitment Announcement: Instagram
Social Handles: Twitter | Instagram
Personal Bests | Elite
| Vault | Uneven Bars | Balance Beam | Floor Exercise |
| 14.066 | 14.166 | 14.333 | 14.166 |
Videos | Elite
| Vault | Uneven Bars | Balance Beam | Floor Exercise |
| 2015 World Championships | 2019 Züri-Oberland Cup | 2019 Dutch Championships (parts 1 and 2) | 2019 Dutch Championships |
About Mara
Titarsolej is a Dutch elite gymnast. She competed at the World Championships in 2015 where she helped the Netherlands qualify to the Olympic Games, and at the 2016 European Championships where she finished fifth on floor in the event finals. Her post-2016 career was marred by an ankle injury, which kept her in and out of competition for two years. In 2019, however, Titarsolej competed internationally for the first time in three years at the Züri-Oberland Cup in Switzerland, which represented the beginning of her post-injury comeback.
What She Brings to LIU
Vault
- Skill: handspring half-on, full twist off
- Results: third place at the 2019 Züri-Oberland Cup
- Margin of Improvement: Videos of Titarsolej’s vault are pre-injury. Back then, her form was slightly messy but such problems may disappear with an easier vault in college.
- Impact on the Team: Titarsolej’s lineup debut will depend on how her rehabilitation is going. She has tons of potential on vault, though, and if healthy, she will be expected to be a strong contributor.
Uneven Bars
- Skills: Khorkina to Bhardwaj, Maloney to bail to handstand, full-in dismount (pre-injury)
- Results: 13th at the 2016 European Championships (qualifications)
- Margin of Improvement: Titarsolej’s form on bars is exquisite. Her handstands are stunning and her toe point is impressive. The only issue is a small leg separation on her low-to-high bar transitions.
- Impact on the Team: Titarsolej will be expected to contribute to the bar lineup from the start. With her stunning lines, she may very well be the anchor.
Balance Beam
- Skills: full turn with the leg held horizontal + full turn, double turn, side aerial + BHS, switch ring, side somi, gainer full dismount
- Results: 12th at the 2016 European Championships (qualifications)
- Margin of Improvement: Titarsolej has beautiful lines on beam. Her 2019 elite routine was slightly shaky, but her collegiate one will be easier and hence less prone to balance checks.
- Impact on the Team: Titarsolej may want to increase her confidence, but she seems ready for her lineup debut.
Floor Exercise
- Skills: double tuck, 2.5 twist
- Results: fifth place at the 2016 European Championships (event final)
- Margin of Improvement: Given her ankle injury, Titarsolej is making a slow comeback on floor. Her form, however, is still tight, though her routine is not as difficult as before. Back in 2016, she used to perform a strong double Arabian. We are unlikely to see it next year but they reveal the potential Titarsolej has on floor when healthy. Her dancing ability is also exquisite, as that of other Dutch gymnasts of her generation.
- Impact on the Team: Titarsolej’s lineup debut will depend on her readiness, but in the long term, she will likely contribute.
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Article by Talitha Ilacqua
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