Live ACRO together! The Acrobatic Gymnastics Newsletter N° 11 - October 2023

Hello ACRO lovers

As we’re gathering in Varna on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast for the 2023 European Age Group Competitions and the European Championships, the Local Organising Committee is executing the finishing touches to the Palace of Sports and Culture. Competition begins … today! Entry to the venue is free of charge!

Exciting to see many new names and formations on the roster. Unfortunately, the Israeli delegation withdrew from the European Age Group Competitions because of the attacks on their country that started on Saturday. They’ll be sorely missed but will be with us in our hearts.

Our Technical Committee has been busy with training camps and workshops. One of our main ideas is to support members federations that wish to develop Acrobatic Gymnastics. This mission has already taken us to Finland and Romania, with Estonia and Slovakia coming up soon.

More info below …

The 2023 European Age Group Competitions will set the tone, from 12 to 15 October. A total of 22 nations have registered 335 gymnasts: 153 will compete in the 11 – 16 age group, while the 12 – 18 age group features 182 gymnasts.

The starting order of the competition is made according to the draw of lots carried out, on 7 August 2023, by the representatives of the TC-ACRO. The top 8 in qualifications proceed to the final. If there are less than 12 entries in a category, only 6 proceed to the final. If there are 30 or more entries in a category, 10 proceed to the final. No more than 1 unit from each federation, in each category, is allowed to proceed to the final. Finals starts from zero. The units with the highest score in each category are declared European Age Group winners. In accordance with FIG/European Gymnastics Regulations 11-16 perform one exercise, balance or dynamic in accordance with the category: Women’s Pairs: Balance, Mixed Pairs: Dynamic, Men’s Pairs: Balance, Women’s Groups: Dynamic & Men’s Groups: Balance, while 12-18 perform one combined exercise.

The European Age Group Competitions are followed by the European Championships from 18 to 22 October 2023. Here, 22 countries will participate with 283 gymnasts: 154 juniors and 129 seniors.

Ones to watch in the senior category include the mixed pair winners of this year’s World Cup stages in Maia and Rzeszow Aghasif Rahimov and Raziya Seyidli (AZE). Belgium’s new women’s group Sofie Jaeken, Lauren Verbrugghe and Mirte Vercauteren won both in Rzeszow and Puurs. They will be challenged by Carolina Marques, Joana Pinto & Eduarda Portella (POR) and Elina Kozachanska, Karina Ostrovska & Alina Puhach (UKR). In Puurs, we witnessed the victory of women’s pair Monica Lima and Maria Marvao (POR) and mixed pair Yonatan Fridman and Amy Refaeli (ISR), the 2019 age group and 2021 junior European Champions. Another experienced duo, Israel’s Almog Green and Maayan Zunenshine, won the 2019 junior European title and medalled as seniors in 2021. It’s a pleasure to welcome them again. Germany’s European and World medallist Daniel Blintsov is on the roster too, now partnering with Diana Lust. In the men’s group competition, we expect a thrilling battle between Great Britain, Israel, Ukraine and Portugal.

Thanks to our Global Partner SmartScoring, we’re able to provide a livestream of the entire competition in Varna!

On gymtv.online you’ll find three packages:

1° European Age Group Competitions = € 6

2° European Championships = € 8

3° European Age Group Competitions + European Championships = € 12

Enjoy the competition!

From 31 July to 6 August, we held our annual Acrobatic Gymnastics Training Camp. This year in Kranevo (BUL) at the multipurpose air conditioned sport facilities along the Black Sea coast. 101 gymnasts and 28 coaches from 13 countries participated.

The aim? To provide coach education based on a theoretical and practical approach from leading acrobatic experts and to provide an environment that facilitates the exchange of knowledge and experience between coaches and gymnasts.

All experts delivered training sessions providing an individual approach to their assigned group based on the level, 2 times per day. 15 coaches attended the camp without gymnasts followed a specific schedule. These lectures were also available to all coaches.

As supervisor of the camp, I warmly thank all experts donating their time and effort to making the participants better: Nikolay Ivanov (BUL), Galina Kovalchuk (UKR), Ana Matyskina (GER), Igor Blintsov (GER), Yury Golyak (UKR), Sergey Tretyakov (BEL), Vladimir Makarchenko (GBR), Eva Mauriceau (FRA) and Yves Vander Donckt (POR).

This relaxed environment enables European Gymnastics to provide a friendly and positive atmosphere for all coaches to develop their knowledge.

It’s been a busy year for organising workshops!

Our Technical Committee members Melanie Sanders and  Juan León-Prados travelled to Finland with as the purpose to educate and upskill the judges in Finland on all aspects of judging: Execution, Artistry and Difficulty. There were 19 judges in attendance at the course throughout, 16 in person and 3 online. Finland has only one brevet Judge Cat IV, who was in attendance at the workshop.

In Romania, the same kind of judging workshop was led by TC members Katarzyna Majewska-Kasprzak and Juan León-Prados.  There were 26 judges in attendance at the course throughout, 21 in person and 5 online. Romania only has national level judges, there are currently no brevet Judges.

Still to come: judges, coaches education and artistry workshops in Estonia and Slovakia !

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Wishing you all a successful competition,

Carine Charlier

ACRO-TC President