14th World Gymnaestrada
Lausanne (SUI), July 10 – 16, 2011
LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, January 20, 2011: One hundred and seventy days before the curtain lifts on the Opening Ceremony of the 14th World Gymnaestrada at Lausanne’s (SUI) Pontaise Olympic Stadium, July 10, 2011, the Organising Committee has updated current facts and figures in context with the world’s largest gymnastic sporting event. A press conference was held Wednesday at the Olympic Museum, also located in Lausanne.
After the closing of definitive registration, end of December 2010, Marc Vuilleumier, President of the World Gymnaestrada Lausanne 2011 Association and representative for the City of Lausanne, and Secretary General Patrice Schaub are proud to announce the participation of some 20,000 gymnasts from 52 nations, registered for the 14th edition of the World Gymnaestrada. For the first time since 1969, delegations from Algeria, Malta, Mongolia and Uruguay are among the participants. In terms of statistics, female gymnasts make up 78% of the participants with strong representation of 11 to 30 year olds. Switzerland itself, with 3,300 participants, followed by Germany (1,800) and Finland (1,400), represent the largest delegations, while Mongolia (10), Guatemala (10) and Serbia (13) count among the smallest.
These numbers will have to be confirmed by April 30, the deadline for all remaining payments to the organisers.
President of the FIG Gymnastics for All Committee Margaret Sikkens Ahlquist (SWE) and Commission member Monika Siskova (SVK), both of whom attended the press conference, expressed their full satisfaction with the progress being made, lauding the professionalism conveyed by the organisers. “Lausanne will be dressed in colour this summer, and everyone will know what the World Gymnaestrada is all about,” said Sikkens Ahlquist.
The committee’s president applauded LOC efforts toward sustainable development and eco-friendliness, both of which will be implemented in major sectors such as transportation, food supply and waste management. “A huge event such as the World Gymnaestrada can have a big impact on the environment and I applaud the Lausanne organisers for setting a good example and bearing its responsibility.”
The FIG Gymnastics for All Committee is aware of the difficulties faced by participating federations due to the strong Swiss Franc; these calculated costs using the exchange rate that was valid when they first prepared their budgets. Yet despite this obstacle, organisers have registered over 20,000 participants, proof of gymnastics’ growing popularity.
The GFA Committee will convene for one last joint meeting prior to the event with representatives of the 2011 World Gymnaestrada Organising Committee on January 21 – 22 to iron out all remaining organisational details. In addition to the crucial topic of logistics, the programme for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, which remains undisclosed until the start of the event, will also be discussed.
Commemorative postal stamp
The Swiss postal service, alongside the entire philatelic community, has decided to come alongside this event of international renown by creating a postal stamp in celebration of gymnastics. The stamp is sure to entice collectors and the general public alike. Designed by Swiss artist Dominique Rossier, it will bear the effigy of this unique event and come at a value of 85 cents. The stamp will be unveiled to the press on Wednesday, and available for purchase starting March 3, 2011.
“I enjoyed the stamp presentation very much,” stated Sikkens Ahlquist, who can appreciate the Lausanne World Gymnaestrada’s buzzwords universality, international understanding, proximity, and dynamism in the stamp’s design.
(from the left to the right: Marc Vuilleumier, Dominique Rossier, Christian Jacquier (Swiss Post) and Patrice Schaub)
Ticket sales to open soon
Good news for local gymnastic fans, and for friends and families of international participants! Tickets for the various World Gymnaestrada presentations will go on sale in February 2011. Ticketcorner is the official partner for ticket purchase online or at a variety of box offices.
Click here for more information and download the provisional programme!
The World Gymnaestrada – Omnipresent in Lausanne!
The Lausanne Organising Committee and its 80 members have worked unremittingly to create a unique and magical event for the entire population, with elaborate decor geared at promoting the popular gymnastic festival in the host city. This July, the World Gymnaestrada will be an omnipresent event in the streets of Lausanne! Let’s be surprised!
Volunteers wanted!
If you want to be part of this exciting event and have some free time in July, you can still register as a volunteer. Over 2,000 people have already registered and are guaranteed a unique and unforgettable experience.
Click here for your own registration!
World Gymnaestrada exhibition at the Olympic Museum
The FIG Gymnastics for All Committee is pleased to inform that the Olympic Museum in Lausanne is preparing a special exhibit on the world’s largest gymnastic event. The committee is in the process of designing the exhibit using photos, films, logotypes, facts and figures collected from organising federations since the first World Gymnaestrada in 1953. In order to provide sufficient time for visitors and Gymnaestrada participants to visit the museum, the exhibit will be open from June to August 2011.
The official opening day will be communicated at a later date.
