FIG Apparatus Commission Meetings
Lausanne (SUI), February 24 – 25, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, March 4, 2010: Summoned by the FIG Trampoline Technical Committee and completed by representatives of five major trampoline and tumbling apparatus manufacturers (Eurotramp, Janssen-Fritsen, Spieth, Continental and Gymnova), the Federation’s Apparatus Commission met on February 24, 2010 in Lausanne (SUI) for an extraordinary meeting on FIG norms and testing procedures related to the discipline.

The meeting was characterised by open discussions among commission representatives and manufacturers in the aim of bettering the Trampoline, Tumbling and Double Mini-Trampoline Norms and Testing Procedures. A number of issues were raised and discussed that will help to improve certain aspects of the discipline, the FIG Norms and overall safety in Trampoline Gymnastics in the future.

Ludwig Schweizer, commission member and Director of “Gymlab”, the Gymnastic Equipment Test Laboratory at the University of Freiburg’s Institute for Sports and Sport Science in Germany, presented the norms and testing procedures in detail. A decision to modify the allowed tolerances for height of rebound was postponed. Both the manufactures and Gymlab will report back to the TC on the matter.

Following the extraordinary session, commission members continued with their ordinary meeting on February 25th alongside representatives from Spieth, Continental and Bänfer, to focus specifically on issues related to Trampoline Gymnastics.

A pleasant atmosphere contributed to fruitful discussions and bore a number of proposed decisions relative to a variety of disciplines.

In Artistic Gymnastics, new testing procedures now require adjustments to the FIG norms in the area of testing figures for uneven bars, horizontal bar and parallel bars. A modification to testing procedures for floors was proposed to secure the well-being and safety of gymnasts. Furthermore, the commission reviewed the norms for the length of the safety collar, the height of the protection for the vaulting table base, and the functional properties of the parallel bars. Where necessary and following certain guidelines, the committee devised a proposal that would allow for the uneven bars in Women’s Artistic to be raised by 5 or 10 cm. The proposal was approved by the FIG Executive Committee for the 2010 European and World Championships exclusively.

For Trampoline Gymnastics, a proposal to make use of an additional mat behind the landing area in Tumbling and Double Mini-Trampoline was carried and specifications for a time measurement device (TMD) were submitted for approval.

All proposals will have to be ratified by the FIG Executive Committee prior to taking effect. Apart from the TMD in Trampoline Gymnastics and the uneven bars in Artistic Gymnastics, which were approved at the EC meeting in late February, all proposals will be dealt with at the next EC meeting in Chiba (JPN), May 9 – 11, 2010.

The next meeting of the FIG Apparatus Commission will be held in 2011.