Gymnastics for All Colloquium – Safety in group performances
Lausanne (SUI), November 27-28, 2009

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, November 30, 2009: The FIG Gymnastics for All Committee had invited all FIG member federations to participate in this year’s colloquium with the theme Safety in Group Performances.

19 participants from 13 Federations and 3 Continental Gymnastics Unions gathered in Lausanne (SUI) from November 27-28 to hear, discuss and exchange experiences and ideas pertaining to safety in Gymnastics for All.

The colloquium took place at the University of Lausanne, which opened the way for participants to meet personally with representatives of the OC World Gymnaestrada 2011.

Theoretical presentations punctuated the first day of the colloquium, while the second day was given primarily to theory and practice.

“Perhaps the most important part of the colloquium was the vivid exchange of experiences and ideas between the FIG member federations,” stated Margaret Sikkens Ahlquist, President of the FIG Gymnastics for All Committee. “Ongoing discussions between participants were an important part of the event and I am sure everyone left the colloquium with more knowledge and several good ideas for further development within their own federation.”

We all understand the importance of safety and how giving precedence to education at every level is the best way to deal with this topic. Safety is a main topic covered by the FIG Foundation Course of Gymnastics. Three of these educational courses were successfully staged this year: Thiès (SEN), Port of Spain (TRI) and Tashkent (UZB). In 2010, Jamaica, Malta, Finland and the Czech Republic jointly with Slovakia are planning to host a Foundations of Gymnastics Course (see FIG Academies section for more information. Schedule 2010; Reviews 2009).

by Margaret Sikkens Ahlquist (SWE), President of the FIG Gymnastics for All Committee