Let’s Fly The Trampoline Newsletter N° 12 - December 2021

Dear Trampoline friends

 

Hard and exciting, that sums up the year 2021 pretty well. Despite Covid-19 and the related rules and restrictions, events and activities happened also in the second half of the year.

In July, we all watched the best trampolinists at the postponed 2020 Olympic Games in the Japanese capital Tokyo. In August, Europe’s youth gymnasts and their coaches participated in our Training Camp in Sangalhos (POR). In November, gymnasts from all over the world competed at the World Championships and World Age Groups Competition in Baku (AZE).

I am very pleased to welcome Romania in the Trampoline Gymnastics community; the first Romanian trampolinist competed at the World Age Groups Competition! I am looking forward to our further cooperation with Romania and we are ready to help with the development, also in other countries.

Our Technical Committee returned to standard meetings and other activities and met in Cascais (POR) in July and in Rimini (ITA) in October, in the host town of the 2022 European Championships. Also, a judges development workshop has been held in Ljubljana (SLO) at the end of October.

The FIG electoral Congress took place in Antalya (TUR) in November. I would like to congratulate the new FIG Trampoline Gymnastics TC for the 2022-2024 cycle: Christophe Lambert (president), Tatiana Shuiska, Miguel Vicente, Mariela Stoycheva, Dmitri Poliaroush, Liu Xing and Shinya Muto. Mariela Stoycheva is currently the European Trampoline Gymnastics TC Vice-President - Mariela, I wish you all the best, we will miss you!

32 top athletes competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo with gymnasts from France, Great Britain (2x) and Russia (2x) presenting Europe in the women’s competition while Belarus (2x), Russia (2x), France, Portugal and Ukraine competed in the men’s event.

Xueying Zhu representing China won the women’s Olympic title ahead of her teammate Lingling Liu. A brilliant final routine secured the bronze medal for Bryony Page (GBR), 5 years after her bronze medal at the Rio Games. Susanna Kochesok representing ROC took 7^th place.

An exciting competition in the men’s final follow, between the two gymnasts from Belarus and gymnasts from New Zealand and China. 2018 junior European Champion Ivan Litvinovich (BLR) was crowned the new Olympic Champion. Dong Dong from China finished second and Dylan Schmidt from New Zealand third. The other European finalists - Uladzislau Hancharou(BLR), Dmitrii Ushakov and Andrey Yudin (ROC) placed 4^th, 5^th and 6^th respectively.

I would like to congratulate both champions and all medallists, especially Bryony Page and Ivan Litvinovich, and appreciate the performance of all European gymnasts at the Olympic Games!

The European Gymnastics Training Camp in Trampoline, DMT and Tumbling successfully took place in the High-Performance Centre of Anadia in Sangalhos in Portugal on 22-28 August 2021.

68 gymnasts and coaches from 8 countries practiced under the expertise of European Gymnastics coaching experts led by the TC members Luis Nunes (TRA, DMT) and Irina Karavaeva (TRA) and joined by Julie Perreten (TRA), Sergio Lucas (TRA), Vadim Skakun (TUM), Luis Rosa Nunes (TUM) and Hugo Paulo (DMT). Although he could not attend the camp in person, our traditional coaching expert Paul Greaves participated online in the daily evening Questions and Answers sessions related to the training topics of the day.

The hosts the Portuguese Gymnastics Federation and local organiser Sunlive Group prepared excellent conditions for the participants. Nice hotel with pool, excellent food and unique training conditions for all our three disciplines. One of the highlights of the leisure time was the surfing lesson on the beach.

All participants spent great time in Sangalhos in friendly atmosphere and had the possibility to not only learn new elements or routines but also create a new network across the borders.

So, we have already fixed the date in Sangalhos for next year again! If you are interested to participate, reserve the time slot on 24-30 July 2022.

 

A judges’ development Workshop took place in Ljubljana (SLOon 29-31 October 2021. Babette van Wetering, FIG category 1 judge and European Gymnastics Trampoline TC secretary ,was the expert in the Workshop for 18 participants from Slovenia.

I am very pleased that Slovenia continues our long-term cooperation and growth. I am looking forward to see Slovenia at the European Championships in the near future and hope that Slovenia will have FIG international judge(s) soon. Finger crossed!

For 2022, we plan several coaches and/or judges development Workshops again. The target regions and countries are the new or developing regions or countries and the countries developing new discipline.

The 2022 European Championships in Trampoline Gymnastics are going to be held in Rimini (ITA) from 1 to 5 June 2022. The event will be held immediately after the FIG World Cup in Rimini on 26-28 May 2021.

On 21-24 October 2021, the TC meeting took part in Rimini to see the place for these European Championships. The TC met the LOC and visited the competition venue in “FIERA DI RIMINI” and several hotels planned for the Championships. The LOC has already huge experience with the organisation of international events and has strong support of the Italian Gymnastics Federation. After more detailed discussion about the organisation and LOC ideas, it is obvious we can expect a great event in June 2022.

The Directives will be published in early January 2022. Please note that the 2022 European Championships will have 5 competition days and note also the important date 2^nd March 2022 - the deadline for the Definitive registrations!

European Gymnastics already implemented the changes of the FIG rules and FIG Code of Points for the cycle 2022-2024 into the European Gymnastics Technical Regulations 2022-2023. The document is available on the European Gymnastics website under 'Rules'.

In Trampoline Gymnastics, semi-finals are planned in all disciplines for both the seniors and juniors for the European Championships. European Gymnastics will also follow the new principles for the team finals counting the “ranking points” and having 3 gymnasts per team in the team finals. After the 2022 European Championships, the TC will analyse the option to include the All-Around Team Final into the 2024 European Championships.

------------------------------

As the end of the year 2021 is fast approaching, I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Have a successful 2022!

Vladimir Zeman

TRA-TC President