FIG Academy for Acrobatic Gymnastics

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, August 13, 2010: The third FIG Academy for Acrobatic Gymnastics was hosted in Montreal (CAN) during the first week of August at the magnificent facilities of the Cirque du Soleil and the nearby National Circus School, which is located across the street.

This Academy was attended by 15 coaches from three federations: Brazil, USA and Canada – a somewhat disappointing number considering that this was a world-wide invitation.

This Acrobatics Academy was taught by three members of the Academy Working Group for Acrobatic Gymnastics. The course leader for the first half of the course was Hardy Fink, the Director of FIG Education & Academy Programmes and then Karl Wharton of Great Britain who is also a member of the FIG Technical Committee. The other Working Group member was FIG Scientific Commission President, Keith Russell, of Canada. They were joined by Vicki Kirkham of Great Britain who served as an Academy expert for the first time.

The highest results were achieved by Sarah Thomas of USA followed closely by Don Holmes of Canada.

Special thanks must go to the Canadian Gymnastics Federation and especially its Chief Technical Officer, Cathy Haines, who worked to assure that all administrative needs were provided and negotiated the much appreciated access to the Cirque du Soleil and National Circus School facilities.

This will be the one and only Academy for Acrobatic Gymnastics this year. Four Academies for Acrobatic Gymnastics had been approved for 2010 but no host was found for two of them which had subsequently to be cancelled. The first Level 3/Coaching Brevet Academy was planned for Portugal at the end of August but had to be postponed until 2011, because there were only two registered coaches to be taught by a group of eight world experts that had been secured for this special Academy. We can only hope that Acrobatic Gymnastics will catch up next year on the multiple missed opportunities of 2010.

In the meantime, the Academy Programme continues with a Spanish language Academy for Rhythmic Gymnastics in Brazil and one for Aerobic Gymnastics in Finland in the coming two weeks and a French language Academy for Men’s and Women’s Artistic Gymnastics currently finishing in Senegal.

22nd World Championships in Acrobatic Gymnastics
Wroclaw (POL), July 16 - 18, 2010

Qualifications Day 3 – Finals Day 2

WROCLAW (POL), FIG Office, July 18, 2010: Acrobatic gymnasts took to the stage in Wroclaw’s Orbita Hall for the last time today at these world championships, as Men’s Groups, and Women’s and Men’s Pairs continued Qualifications, with the best back for a Final rematch.

Ranks were filled and fans heated up the arena as they cheered on their favourite players. Outside a refreshing rain finally provided the cool temperatures everyone had been longing for during an uncommonly long heat wave.

Qualification – Combined Exercises

Men’s Pairs
The third qualifying heat did nothing less than confirm the lead for formations having consistently topped the ranking over the past two days; British gymnasts Upcott/Fordyce are among top placers, and gave the best Combined performance this morning. At the top of the ranking list, Russian Pilipchuck/Dudchenko competed in magnificent costumes that were half classical, half glitz. They combined sound technical mastery with flashy, expressive choreography. In the event that a Pair enhances their Final with extra difficulty elements, it could have an affect on the final outcome. As always, though ranked among the top 5 in the All-around, the second Russian constellations had to yield their place in the Final, a fate that befell the Ivanov brothers this morning.

Men’s Groups
Let’s start with some math. With four nations having entered two Groups each in this category, six spots available in the Final, and a one rep per nation rule for the Final, all participating nations were sure to be represented tonight. A look at the field before this last heat pretty clearly revealed which Groups from Great Britain, China, Belarus and Ukraine would be qualifying, but anything can happen and the competition was exciting through to the end.

The Polish four were the first to perform in this category today, and they were aiming to defend their middle rank position. Another solid routine with no major mistakes awarded with 27.657 did the job, ultimately ranking the young gymnasts fifth.

Improving from their Dynamic exercise on Friday, when they suffered a fall, Belarus 1 was constantly on the rise and qualified in seventh position, having outperformed their compatriots, who stayed at the bottom of the table.

Ukraine 1 were not able to improve their performance today, which was characterised by several mistakes and a fall from the top during a pyramid formation. They placed just ahead of Belarus 2.

China 2, dressed in green, performed their famous swing element, more stunning pyramids and flawlessly executed triple saltos. However, they stayed behind their team-mates in the ranking (3rd) and took a place on the reserve position.

Leaders of the ranking, Great Britain 1, confirmed their position with breathtaking formations and saltos, incredibly well-executed.

Was China’s first entry able to repeat the consistent and highly difficult routines they presented over the last two days? They were! These gymnasts thrilled and dazzled the public with creative elements such as the human rope.

Debutants on the senior World stage, the four members of the Ukraine’s second entry, who interestingly are nearly the same height, were forced to accept a .6 deduction; they managed to ascend the ranking nevertheless and qualified in sixth position.

Great Britain’s second Group were unable to outperform their compatriots today for a spot in the Final. The point difference was far too big, and worse, they lost their position among the top four due to an interrupted pyramid formation that cost them a 2.9 deduction. Unfortunate rank eight for them.

Women’s Pairs
A last and laborious round for the women. Several falls and technical errors were the cause of grief in this qualifying round, and scrambled the ranking order. Fatigue wielded its power on Azeri Ahmadova/Sultanova, who experienced landing trouble after a double piked; this was not their best exercise. First place was overtaken by the Ukraine’s Sytnikova/Milnychenko who, in a fabulous Combined exercise, produced the same static hold as Belgian pair De Vos/Henrist (absent from this competition) on a single foot of their base, who herself was in handstand position. The lovely and willowy Byelorussians Yushko/Murashko finished third while Russian Pair Pikhulina/Sokolenko slipped down into fourth. With four Pairs scoring nigh on 28.00 points in their Combined exercise, the Final couldn’t have been anything but exciting!

Team Ranking

Federations represented by at least three different Pairs and Groups, including at least one Pair and one Group having taken part in the Qualifications of a world championship, are eligible to participate in the ranking by Team. A total of seven Teams were ultimately registered in Wroclaw.

Reminder: Team classification is established based on the overall placings gained over the three exercises performed in Competition 1 by the declared Team members. These three placings are converted into points as follows: e.g. If 16 countries are entered in a World Championships, first place gets 16 points, second place 15, third place 14, etc. All categories are uniformly converted regardless of the number of competitors in the event.

The team with the highest number of points is declared Team World Champion and each member of the announced team is awarded a medal.

With their Men’s Pair and Women’s Group first and the Mixed Pair second, Russia garnered a total of 74 points, taking home the Team title from this competition.

Second and winner of the Silver medal is Great Britain with 70 points, featuring first place for their Men’s Group, second place for their Men’s Pair and rank five for the country’s Women’s Group.

The Ukraine came third in the Team ranking (69 points) with their Women’s Pair in rank one and their Men’s Pair and Women’s Group both in fourth.

Gold - Russia RUS 74
Silver - Great Britain GBR 70
Bronze - Ukraine UKR 69

Finals

Men’s Pairs
Starting at zero in the Final, there’s no room for error here, and any mistakes will cost these gymnasts dearly. Unfortunately, such was the case for Kazakstan’s Avrin/Gmyzun, the Ukraine’s Pulin/Tarasenko and China’s Yang/Chen, all victims of their own blunders this afternoon. China’s demise came when they fell on a double twisting layout to catch. They joined the Americans, Osborne/Inserra, among the weakest in this Final, and placed in the last ranks. Bulgarian Andonov/Georgiev improved their performance of this morning with a clean exercise and shifted upward three slots.

Belarus increased its difficulty and succeeded, winding up this event with a Bronze. The title was up for grabs now between Britain and Russia. Upcott/Fordyce, the first up, gave an outstanding presentation; 9.55 points for Execution. Relieved to see this competition coming to a close, the two men shouted for joy as they received their scores in the arms of their coach. Thanks to their impeccable execution and a slightly higher difficulty than the Russian Pair Pilipchuck/Dudchenko, Britain took home their first world title. The Russian Pair adds a somewhat disappointing Silver to its collection from 2008 and the World Games 2009.

Gold - Edward UPCOTT / Douglas FORDYCE GBR 28.662
Silver - Konstantin PILIPCHUK / Alexey DUDCHENKO RUS 28.506
Bronze - Yauhen KALACHOU / Ruslan FEDCHENKA BLR 28.052

Women’s Pairs
Sequins were all the rage in this afternoon’s Women’s Pairs Final. One after the next, they competed in colourful, scintillating costumes and bedazzled their fans with unparalleled technique. Most of them increased their difficulties for the occasion. While the medal rush was initially to be played out between Azerbaijan, Belarus and the Ukraine, Russia stepped in to stir things up! Pikhulina/Sokolenko gave a solid performance, though weaker than in Qualifications this morning; they claimed Bronze while Azeri Ahmadova/Sultanova lost synch with their music toward the end of their routine, suffered a 0.2 penalty for it, and were forced to settle for fourth.

The Ukraine’s Kytnikova/Milnychenko, who had all the skills necessary for a strong Difficulty score even in the Final, improved on this morning’s routine for a 28.709 total, and the Gold medal. Dressed in the bright pink of flamingos, the magnificent Byelorussians Yushko/Murashko also added difficulties in hopes for the title, but a slightly inferior execution score dropped them below the Ukraine: no world title, but a Silver medal!

Gold - Kateryna SYTNIKOVA / Anastasiya MELNYCHENKO UKR 28.709
Silver - Alina YUSHKO / Katsiaryna MURASHKO BLR 28.502
Bronze - Anzhelika PIKHULINA / Anastasia SOKOLENKO RUS 28.001

Men’s Groups
Accompanied by enthusiastic support from the crowd, a spectacular Final in Men’s Groups concluded these championships. Who would take the precious title? It all seemed to come down to a nose to nose race between Great Britain and China. But there are no givens with Russia and Poland breathing down their necks; the big favourites knew they had to give it all they had tonight.

First to perform in this Final was the four-man Group from Belarus. They upped their Difficulty in relation to this morning, but received lower Artistic and Execution marks. Moreover, they received a .3 penalty, resulting in a total of 27.280.

Ukraine was next and they suffered from the same issue as Belarus, receiving a .6 penalty for failing to complete a pyramid element. 26.300 points for them.

The local crowd then gave a supportive welcome to their Polish Group. Unfortunately, their top was unable to land a platform to platform salto properly, which consequently meant a low Execution mark.

Top qualifiers from Great Britain were up next and they set the bar high for their Chinese nemesis! With the same exercise as this morning they scored another 28.854 points. Enough for the title?

Second to last, Russia entered the stage, and while improving their Execution to 9.350 their total counted 28.552. A provisional rank two, just behind Great Britain. But China was still to come!

Excellent in all elements, the men in yellow thrilled the crowd again and again! Rhythmic clapping filled the arena while everyone waited for the score to be confirmed. Would they take the Gold?

Finally, slightly higher Artistic and Difficulty scores crowned the British Group World Champions!

Gold - Great Britain 1 28.854
Silver - China 1 28.801
Bronze - Russia 28.552

Find all detailed results here!

Closing Ceremony

We have witnessed wonderful performances and exciting competitions here in Wroclaw, and are happy to see Acrobatic Gymnastics making headway in so many countries, that’s good news!

The 22nd World Championships ended as athletes from all nations marched in followed by closing remarks by Urszula Wojtkowiak (POL). The President of the Polish Sports Acrobatic Federation thanked the athletes, coaches and judges, and looks forward to meeting everyone again at the next ACRO meet.

Before declaring the 22nd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships closed and receiving the FIG flag back from the LOC, FIG Vice-President Michel Léglise (FRA) thanked the organisers for their marvellous job hosting this event. He underlined the fantastic contribution of the ever-helpful volunteers and, with regard to the competition, applauded the high technical level and authentic sense of fair play throughout.

Our thanks to the gymnasts for their participation, passion and commitment; we look forward to seeing you again in 2012 at the 23rd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships!

22nd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
Wroclaw (POL), July 16 - 18, 2010

Qualifications Day 2 – Finals Day 1

WROCLAW (POL), FIG Office, July 17, 2010: The world’s elite acrobats continued their crowd-pleasing routines today with a programme full of high level performances in Wroclaw’s Orbita Hall. Organisers report some 1,000 spectators on site watching the championships throughout the day. Moreover, with the Finals being televised by host broadcaster TVP3, TV viewers all over Poland and beyond got a chance to pick up on some of the ACRO hype from their homes.
Qualifications continued in all categories and the day wrapped up with Finals in Mixed Pairs and Women’s Groups.

Mixed Pairs

Qualifications – Combined Exercise
This morning’s Combined was the last chance for competing Pairs to perform before judges in the hopes of placing among the top 8 and resetting the clock to zero in the Final. A chance to show off their skill, Combined exercise is the most difficult for the athletes; this is where they blend dynamic throws and pitches with stability during static holds, an effort that is most often performed on a single arm in Mixed Pairs.

And Belgium, perhaps a bit tired from last night’s impeccable performance, paid a high price this morning for fouling that up. Top Amber Van Rijk fell from a 1-armed handstand while Vanderghote/Van Gelder took a spill from a needle stand, which resulted not only in Belgium’s drop from first position, it opened the way for their team-mates De Roech/Van Rijk to pass them up! Failing to finish an announced static hold, Vanderghote/Van Gelder not only botched their Artistry and Execution Scores with a full point deduction each, their Difficulty score also suffered, and they received a 0.9 penalty for a mere 3 missing seconds.

Thus Americans Allen/Rodrigues reclaimed the lead with a fantastic tango, the ever dynamic Chinese Huang/Zhang in tow. Everyone starts at zero in the Final: so if you want to get an idea of who might end up taking the world title, remember that there’s just one Combined performance to base it on; steer clear of thinking overall ranking. In this exercise the Russians dominated, surpassing the Americans!

Tonight’s Final is looking more interesting every minute; these gymnasts are tired after two days of competition and who knows but it might lead to a few surprises in the end.

Women’s Groups

Qualifications – Combined Exercise
In Women’s, competition is tight from start to finish. The Combined is the best way to present a maximum number of difficulties from the static and dynamic routines, and this morning we observed demonstrations of impressive mastery from every one of yesterday’s groups. In this race for the Final the following gymnasts played well:

Russia’s Shaykhudinova/Stroyonova/Loginova took the lead but made a few mistakes here and there, particularly in their dynamic elements. The Combined was their least successful exercise. At the end of qualifications, they remain sufficiently ahead of their nemesis, Britain’s Miller/Walters/Smith, who despite a strong technical presentation to a zesty tango will need to improve their score by some 0.3 points if they want to take the title based on a single Combined. Belgium, the Ukraine and France (Le Corre/Dupire-Betoule/Eouzan) can all aspire to the podium depending on what happens in the Final. Russia’s and Great Britain’s second Trios, 5th and 6th in the overall ranking respectively, will have to yield their places to Poland, Spain and Hungry in the Final.

Men’s Groups

Qualification – Balance Exercise
The most exciting elements in Balance performances are without a doubt the breathtaking pyramids held for what seems like ages, with interesting transitions from one position to the next. However, all it takes is the smallest tremor and the whole human pyramid will tremble and cause the top to fall.

This is exactly what happened to Belarus’ second entry, and they paid for it with last place. Great Britain 2, by contrast, mastered their stunning formations and were awarded a final 27.153, with rank four after this heat.

Local fans got excited when the Polish Group entered the stage; they were pleased with what they saw. The Quattro moved up one rank as compared to yesterday, scoring a 27.260, and position five for now.

Both Chinese Groups gave gutsy performances of stability in the most difficult positions; their performances placed them at the top where they belong! They hold places two and three for the time being.

Russia 2 have recovered from yesterday’s fall and wowed fans today with a solid four man column. They scored high Execution marks, and their 28.265 earned them second place in Balance as well as a raise in their overall ranking: sixth.

Fans had to wait until the end to see Great Britain’s first Group climb to the top! A clean routine with the day’s highest Artistic and Execution scores secured the apex for this group.

Qualifications for the six Final spots available in Men’s Groups continue with the Combined exercise tomorrow morning followed by the Final at 5:50 pm.

Women’s Pairs

Qualification – Dynamic Exercise
World-class Women’s Dynamic Exercises display powerful, fast-moving artistic elements combined with style and elegance. A true pleasure to watch!

The top of the table remained unchanged following this second heat, with the Pairs from Azerbaijan, Belarus and the Ukraine performing consistently. Ahmadova / Sultanova (AZE) and Sytnikova / Melnychenko (UKR) impressed with the highest marks for Execution (9.250), each Pair working fluidly through their routine. With apparent ease, the Azerbaijanis transitioned from one position to the next with impeccable precision and style.

Artistry was judged highest with the Belarusians (9.250), who stunned onlookers with exacting synchronicity.

Russia’s first Pair animated the crowd with dance music and moves, but they lost points in Execution. Provisory rank five for them behind their compatriots, who presented another clean performance today.

Women’s Pairs present their Combined exercise tomorrow morning and we will see the six finalists again at 5:00 pm.

Men’s Pairs

Qualification – Balance Exercise
As in Women’s Pairs, the top players in this category didn’t change as compared to yesterday. Russia 1, Great Britain and the Ukraine confirmed their leading positions followed by Belarus.

Dressed all in red, yesterday’s top scorers Pilipchuk / Dudchenko (RUS) stunned spectators with yet another superb performance, effortlessly managing the difficulty. They were given the highest Execution mark today, 9.600, near perfection!

Loudly supported by their fans, Upcott / Fordyce (GBR) were not far behind the Russians, placing second with an overall score of 57.005.

Young Ukrainians Pulin / Tarasenko have settled nicely into this category among the favourites, impressing fans with interesting turns and fluent transitions.

Intermediate rank three for these gymnasts, ahead of Kalachou / Fedchanka (BLR).
Bad luck for Azerbaijan; the Pair had difficulty at one point, resulting in a 2.1 penalty and dashed hopes of keeping up with the leading pack.

Men’s Pairs will show their Combined exercises tomorrow morning during the last part of Qualification, and eight finalists will take the stage again at 4:00 pm.

Finals

Mixed Pairs
The Mixed Pairs Final opened with Bulgaria’s Ivanova/Kirov, who presented a beautiful exercise with a Spanish flair. They had a few problems with their dynamic elements, likely due to the top’s knee injury from a few weeks ago.

Belarus’ Kashpanava/Vaitsiakhoski opted for a classical style with the top evoking images of a ballerina. The uncertain execution of several elements would bar their entry to the podium, 4th place.

Third to stand before the judges, Portugal’s Sarnebto/Gradim delivered an energetic programme to a selection of rock ‘n roll: fully mastered elements and appealing choreography that bewitched the public was not enough to flatter the judges (7th).

Sporting a more athletic look, Lithuania’s Koklejava/Sumilo delivered clean-cut execution, and slid into 6th.

Enter Americans Allen/Rodrigues to the applause of a hall full of fans. Dressed in red and black, their tango was simply fantastic and executed without any major mistakes. A magnificent 28.600, which set the bar high for Belgium’s De Roeck/Van Rijk, next up.

The day has not been gracious to these two gymnasts, who suffered a fall at the outset of their programme, on their very first dynamic element (4/4 front handstand to handstand) a mistake that left them with nary a chance. In a gesture of sportsmanship, they finished their routine to cries of encouragement coming from the grandstands.

The podium now depended on China and Russia. The ever magnificent Huang/Zhang in terms of technique performed incredible flight elements; delight was written across their faces as the performed before the enormous crowd, and they gave their best artistically.

3rd behind Okulova/Gurgenidze, with Russia in second despite a strong performance. The Americans powered through two days of competition, and after having conquered the 2009 World Games in Kaoshiung, they’ve run off with the world title from Wroclaw.

Gold ALLEN Kristin / RODRIGUES Michael USA 28.600
Silver OKULOVA Tatiana / GURGENIDZE Revaz RUS 28.300
Bronze HUANG Yan / ZHANG Shaolong CHN 27.858

Womens’ Groups
Hungary’s Meleg/Vincze/Xue and Spain’s Acuna/Garcia/Gomez Farinas will remain in the shadows due to weak difficulties and sloppy execution; the battle for the top began with the Polish Beker/Grzeskow/Kowalska, who, naturally, had the public’s favour. They presented a solid, well-structured exercise with a heightened difficulty level for the final: 6th. France’s Le Corre/Dupire-Betoule/Eouzan fared better today; they played their cards right and proved that their presence in the Final was no coincidence. Some tough competition was still to come, however: with 28.650, Russian Shaykhudinova/Stroyonova/Loginova improved their score in this exercise, placing the bar even higher than before.

But the Ukraine’s Kalyta/Vinnyk/Odintsova were every bit as good at the game; a solid, highly rhythmical performance yielded their best score of these two days of competition: the Bronze medal.

Belgium’s Van Hombeek/Croket/Vanstaen proved that their group wasn’t cursed here in Wroclaw; they regained traction and placed just behind the Ukraine. An arresting Final for the Brits; Miller/Walters/Smith delivered a tango peppered with difficulties (they increased their difficulties for the Final), and with a better Execution score they snatched the Silver from the Ukraine.

This Final was a smash hit, keeping spectators and delegations alike on the edge of their seats from start to finish.

Gold Russia 1 28.650
Silver Great Britain 1 28.320
Bronze Ukraine UKR 28.290

Find detailed results here!

The tournament continues tomorrow with the last part of Qualifications, Combined exercises in Men’s Groups, Women’s Pairs and Men’s Pairs, and Finals in these categories.

Stay tuned!

22nd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
Wroclaw (POL), July 16 - 18, 2010

Qualifications Day 1

WROCLAW (POL), FIG Office, July 16, 2010: The 22nd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships got underway this morning in Wroclaw, Poland, where delegation members and spectators gave fantastic support to gymnasts performing in all categories. Wroclaw’s Orbita Hall, equipped with acrobatic floors from Spieth Gymnastic, staged this first day of Qualifications.

Mixed Pairs

Dynamic
A very aerial competition in Mixed Pairs today, with the much-anticipated Belgian Pair Vanderghote/Van Gelder, who handled the pressure with ease. They gave a fabulous, comprehensive exercise in terms of artistry, and took the cake in this first heat. China’s Huang/Zhang presented a routine steeped in tradition and extraordinary flight elements. They placed second, just 0.144 points shy of first and barely ahead of Belgium’s De Roech/Van Wijk and Americans Allen/Rodrigues. Russian Pair Okulova/Gurgenidze were forced to finish their exercise without musical accompaniment, a real disappointment for spectators since Revaz Gurgenidze is known to be the best “dancer” in international competitions at this time. They finished fifth in the provisional ranking and will be looking for revenge in the static exercise.

Balance
The second series of qualifying rounds got off to a good start with an outstanding exercise by China’s Huang/Zhang, who are so utterly graceful in their static holds that we forget to watch for difficulty. A slight mistake on an individual element and insufficient choreographic content cost them a few points in the overall ranking (5th). Russia’s Okulova/Gurgenidze, who were finally able to dazzle fans with their artistic talent and incredible energy, slid in front of the Chinese, but a lack of technical difficulties (D Score: 9.90) and unwieldy technical execution kept them from taking the lead. They finished 4th, just behind both Belgian Pairs and the United States, who performed superbly romantic choreography. We look forward to seeing the Americans tomorrow.

Belgian Vanderghote/Van Gelder gave a phenomenal technical and artistic performance: light but dynamic choreography, precise though fluid technique, they won the hearts of both public and judges alike. Their compatriots De Roech/Van Wijk were not far behind (0.247); stability and artistic expression characterized a magnificent performance. With both Belgian Pairs in the lead, two looming questions emerge: which of the two Belgian Pairs will move on to the Final, since only one per nation will make it, and who will follow in their wake? Waiting in the wings are the surprising young Portuguese: Sarnebto/Gradim and the charming Bulgarian Pair Ivanova/Kirov.

Qualifications in Mixed Pairs continue with the Combined exercises tomorrow morning, with the Final taking place the same day at 6 pm.

Women’s Groups

Balance
These young women provided us with a beautiful competition. Of the 17 Trios hoping to qualify, the level of the competition is such that nine of them have a realistic shot at accessing the top ranks. The bar was set high from the get-go with a 27.950 score for Belgium’s Van Hombeek/Croket/Vanstaen, the first to perform. Russia’s Shaykhudinova/Stroyonova/Loginova, who harbour pretty realistic hopes for the world title, gave an impressive technical demonstration of stability, which placed them in the lead temporarily ahead of British Miller/Walters/Smith, the only Trio with a top to perform Mexican positions with wide arms. France (Le Corre/Dupire-Betoule/Eouzan) and the Ukraine (Kalyta/Vinnik/Odintsova) placed 4th and 5th respectively in the provisional ranking.

Dynamic
Britain’s Miller/Walters/Smith were the first of the potential finalists to take to the floor. Laden with difficulties and weighty choreography, their exercise was worth a solid 27.853. Russia’s Shaykhudinova/Stroyonova/Loginova broke out into a rousing Brazilian samba that enabled the tiny Aygul Shaykhudinova to fly through the air in so many positions; they took the lead with a near 1.3 point margin over Britain.

The Belgians stepped up and conquered third place. A fall following a salto caught to platform relegated French Le Corre/Dupire-Betoule/Eouzan to 8th place despite an impressive double salto with split legs performed at the outset by top Maxine Eouzan, proving that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; it was her father who invented the element in the first place. They lost their provisional place in the ranking to their compatriots Chameroy/Purdy/Van Echelpoel, who placed 7th. Tomorrow’s Combined exercise competition looks feisty with the Ukraine and Poland in the running for a place in the Final, while Russia’s Kondrateva/Gorbacheva/Levkina and Britain’s Blacklock/Birch/Thompson seek to outdo their compatriots.

Qualifications in Women’s Groups continue with the Combined exercises tomorrow morning, with the Final taking place the same day at 7 pm.

Men’s Groups

Dynamic
The ten Men’s Groups started off the competition with spectacular, dynamic exercises and we saw a high number of triple saltos today.

Disappointed by a fall by their top, the first Group entering the floor, Belarus 1, took a beating with a poor 24.350, and ultimately last place.

As expected, the Chinese Groups soon soared to the top of the ranking. Both Groups impressed once again with powerful, spectacular elements set to traditional Chinese music. The enthusiastic public rewarded them with loud support from the grandstands. China 1 with Xue, Fang, Zhao and Han scored a solid 28.350.

The Quattro from Russia, compatriots of the current World Champions in this category who are not competing this year, also had a fall and missed a chance at the top.

The Polish four was next to enter. They pleased their fans with original choreography that featured a split into two pairs; they placed behind the Chinese (27.403) and got away with an ultimate sixth rank.

Then the two strong Groups from Great Britain stepped up to the plate. Buckingham / Mcassey / Uttley / Stranks took the top ahead of China with a total score of 28.536, .2 pts higher in Execution than their contenders. Their team-mates made it to rank three (27.754) leaving China 2 in fourth place (27.598).

Qualifications for the six Final spots available in Men’s Groups continue with Balance and Combined exercises over the next two days, with the Final on Sunday at 5:50 pm.

Women’s Pairs

Balance
Title aspirants from Belarus, Alina Yushko and Katsiaryrina Murashko, were the first of ten Women’s Pairs to enter the floor in this category. Setting the bar high for the ones to come, they performed magnificent, clean-cut choreography (28.550).

Unfortunately, both Chinese Pairs experienced falls from their top partners and the resulting deductions placed them at the end of the table. Germany’s Janina Hiller and Sophia Mueller made their delegation proud, presenting a solid performance (28.151) that placed them fifth between the two Pairs from Russia.

Fulfilling high expectations, well-known Ayla Ahmadova and Dilara Sultanova of Azerbaijan offered up a beautiful and nearly perfect routine technically, taking the top of the ranking (28.661).

Kateryna Sytnikova and Anastasiya Melnychenko, the young and rising Pair from  the Ukraine, showed a clean exercise that put them in third today (28.528), breathing down the necks of the Azerbaijanis and Belarusians.

Qualifications in Women’s Pairs continues with Dynamic and Combined exercises over the next two days, with the Final on Sunday at 5:00 pm.

Men’s Pairs

Dynamic
After the withdrawal of Poland’s entry due to injury, thirteen Men’s Pairs were left to line up here in Wroclaw, all aiming for one of the eight spots available in the Finals.

Here’s what we witnessed:

Russia’s second entry, the young Ivanov brothers, gave a solid performance at their world debut. A 27.800 placed them sixth in this first heat. Yang Hengyi and Chen Hongen of China, who took fourth place in 2009 in Kaohsiung, ranked a mere .015 ahead of the Russians, but they were soon outperformed by the upcoming stars from Belarus. Yauheni Kalachou and Ruslan Fedchanka were given slightly higher scores in Artistic and Execution, placing them fourth.

The Ukraine, home to the reigning World Champions, presented their new Senior Men’s Pair Iaroslav Pulin and Dmytro Tarasenko, who impressed with a very solid routine today; they soared to the top of the ranking … temporarily! Big names were still to come.

Top favourites in this event, Konstantin Pilipchuk and Alexey Dudchenko of Russia, followed on their heels, and they did not disappoint! Convincingly clear and more solid than the Ukrainians, they scored the highest Execution mark in this category (9.300), placing first (28.502).

The competition was exciting until the end featuring Great Britain’s Edward Upcott and Douglas Fordyce last up. The 2009 World Games Bronze medallists flawlessly went through a strong routine, and a meagre .1 difference in Execution placed them second behind the Russians.

Qualifications in Men’s Pairs continues with Balance and Combined exercises over the next two days, and the Final on Sunday at 4:00 pm.

Check the results and rankings after today’s events and take a look at tomorrow’s start lists!

Qualifications continue tomorrow for Combined exercises in Mixed Pairs and Women’s Groups, Men’s Groups Balance exercises and Women’s Groups Dynamic exercises. From 6 pm, we will see the first Finals of these championships in Mixed Pairs and Women’s Groups.

6th FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Age Goup Competitions
Wroclaw (POL), July 10 - 12, 2010

World Age Group Competition Finals

WROCLAW (POL), FIG Office, July 12, 2010: Today’s programme of the 6th Acrobatic Gymnastics World Age Group Competitions featured Finals across all five disciplines of the two categories 11 – 16 and 12 – 19 years. It’s been a long day for judges, fans and gymnasts alike, under a blazing sun and an unexpected heat wave that has permeated the competition hall. In the bleachers, the atmosphere was as lively and sportive as it was yesterday, peppered with the sound of local vuvuzelas. These Finals were as spicy in the grandstand as they were on the floor, where finalists and teams from all five continents fought it out in an entertaining show.

Finals 11-16 years

Girls' Groups
Groups from the USA and Australia competed first with performances that lacked in both execution and artistry. So things really got started with the appearance of Belgium and Poland. While the former presented a clean routine with strong technical execution, the latter delighted the local crowd with a sparkling and dynamic exercise full of changes in rhythm and expression, as required by the Code of Points, placing fourth. The top three were still to come: Great Britain’s girls in red were able to take the advantage over Belarus, finishing second behind the Russian Group, whose routine featured a dynamic performance and all components of a world champion routine: impeccable execution, amplitude and clean artistry.

1 RUS L. NIKITINA, E. PALAMAR, D. KOVRIGINA 28.15
2 GBR R. EVANS, F. GROVES, F. CLEMPSON 27.90
3 BLR M. VOLCHYK, A. VOLCHYK, D. TSIKHANAVA 27.65

Girls’ Pairs
This discipline spotlights sylphlike acrobats in the 11 – 16 category. Despite their young age, certain gymnasts presented a good sense of expressiveness, particularly noticeable in British Pair Ralph/McKenzie, who have demonstrated solid progression since their appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent”. A small technical correction in one of their compulsory elements didn’t get past the judges, who relegated them to second place, just behind Russia, the only presenter of a dynamic exercise in this discipline. Garbed in floral print leotards, these two young girls lined up technical elements with roguish flair, landing a score of 27.95, a mere 0.05 points ahead of their British competitors. Byelorussia botched the competition with a static hold that was cut short involuntarily and somewhat haphazardly (pen. 0.3). They miss out on third with a lead on Portugal and Ireland. Americans Cockshell and Swanson (6th) performed a zesty little tango that didn’t go unnoticed.

1 RUS E. MISHCHENKO, K. SIDELNIKOVA 27.95
2 GBR A. RALPH, A. MACKENZIE 27.90
3 BLR M. SAMKEVICH, M. NESTSIARUK 27.25

Boys’ Pairs
Also in this discipline, the 11 – 16 category spotlights finalists from a wide range of countries, with the notable participation of South African Abreu / Baatjes (4th), who are excited to be here in Wroclaw. Also enthusiastic was Russian Pair Zabolotnyy / Mansurov, who proved that solid technical performance and choreography can also be had in the Boys’ events. They finished second to Child / Underdown, the Pair that brought home Britain’s first Gold medal. Third place for Germany’s Stach / Lang.

1 GBR C. CHILD, J. UNDERDOWN 27.90
2 RUS M. ZABOLOTNYY, E. MANSUROV 27.40
3 GER 1 D. STACH, E. LANG 27.25

Mixed Pairs

This competition was dominated by the grace and elegance of Mixed Pair Bartlett / Spalding. Here is a young man who knows how to win the hearts of his fans, and carry his young partner with ease to a world Gold medal. Their static exercise was hailed by the judges, who made quick work of placing them ahead of Poland’s Walaszewski / Szumacher. In contrast to the extremely charming approach of the British Pair, Walaszewski and Szumacher presented a dynamic exercise to the sound of a Spanish melody, winning not only the Silver medal but garnering full fan support as well. Third place for Russian Pair Biriukova / Bedrick, who took a 0.5 penalty.

1 GBR C. BARTLETT, M. SPALDING 28.20
2 POL B. WALASZEWSKI, M. SZUMACHER 28.00
3 RUS S. BIRIUKOVA, M. BEDRIK 27.75

Boys’ Groups
With only four Groups in the line-up, the real competition played out between Russia and Great Britain. The four boys of London delivered an animated and playful performance that earned them 27.85 points, while Russia performed wearing traditional cosaque jackets. The victory was theirs in the end, with a superior score in execution. Kazakhstan took third, and Canada proudly represented its country in the Final, upholding the maxim put forth by Pierre de Coubertin, “The important thing is not to win, but to take part.”

1 RUS K. ZADORIN, M. BRYZHAKHIN, D. SAVIN, A. KUKSA 28.15
2 GBR D. TOGNELLI, N. COWLER, H. SEWELL, G. WOOD 27.85
3 KAZ A. CHUIKO, A. KIREYEV, A. KORZHOV, R. OLENEV 27.05

A harvest of medals for Russia in this first half day of Finals; the country made it away with three Gold medals, one Silver and one Bronze. Great Britain takes its leave with two titles and three Silver medals.

Finals 12-19 years

Concluding the 6th World Age Group Competitions in Wroclaw’s Orbita Hall, this afternoon featured the Finals for the 12 – 19 year category.

While Age Group 11 – 16 gymnasts must choose between performing a second time either their dynamic or static exercise, depending on their personal preference and qualifying results, category 12 – 19 gymnasts are required to present a third and combined exercise with an equal amount of static and dynamic elements. For that reason, we’ve seen a number of new and beautiful performances today, but this third act is a brand new challenge for competitors.

Mixed Pairs

In a discipline where we are more often than not provided with awe-inspiring choreographies, fans in Wroclaw’s Orbita Sports Hall had a chance to watch world-class gymnasts contend. Kovalenko and his slender partner Shokubayeva (KAZ) gave a volitant performance to the music from Mask, which placed them on the third step of the podium. Russia’s Isakova / Pataraya presented a spectacular combined exercise; a graceful blend of energy, flight elements, balance, mischief and poetry. With a time fault (penalty 0.3), their score brought them to an ultimate fourth place, while Britain’s Cranfield / Hunter were defeated by Ukraine’s Batuyeva / Iasynskyi; quite a surprise for the couple who had nearly secured top standing. A first title for the Ukraine.

1 UKR I. BATUYEVA, D. IASYNSKYI 28.35
2 GBR 1 C. CRANFIELD, K. HUNTER 28.05
3 KAZ V. KOVALENKO, K. SHOKUBAYEVA 27.60

Girls’ Pairs

An arduous competition for the girls, dynamic female pair elements are physically gruelling, and they find it hard to refocus for static holds. Nevertheless, French Pair Roussel / Philouze mastered the exercise impeccably; bedecked with pink leotards, this Pair proudly represented its nation in today's Finals. But it was Byelorussian Pair Yanusik / Mikhnevich who took the title with an artistic score superior to that of Russia’s Karimulina / Ploskova, whose clean technical performance proved insufficient. They finished second, just 0.5 point ahead of Belgium’s Snel / De Smedt in third. A first title for Byelorussia.

1 BLR Y. YANUSIK, S. MIKHNEVICH 28.30
2 RUS A. KARIMULINA, A. PLOSKOVA 27.95
3 BEL N. SNEL , E. DE SMEDT 27.90

Girls’ Groups

With representatives from Asia (CHN), the USA and Europe (KAZ, POR, BEL, GBR, RUS and BLR), this Final was fantastic. Chinese Wu/Xing/Zhang gave a sweet performance with a Spanish flair and highest possible flight phases. Their 8.95 Artistic score was not enough to get them to the podium. In artistry, the British triumphed. Cowler / Kemp / Wood were simply the best; after winning Britain’s Got Talent, their daily shows have most certainly helped them improve in artistic expression. And yet according to the judges, that wasn’t enough. They placed a mere fourth. The size of their top would cost Russia a pretty penny; despite technical perfection, Kazantseva / Mikhaylova / Kholod finished a disappointing third (while there was no penalty, an artistic deduction seems unavoidable). When all was said and done, Byelorussia prevailed with Ardziakova / Ivanova / Kalashnik after a tight competition, followed by Belgium with Van Overberghe / Schollier / Van Schoor. A meagre four tenths of a point separated the top five Groups.

1 BLR 1 Y. ARDZIAKOVA, A. IVANOVA, I. KALASHNIK 28.35
2 BEL S. VAN OVERBERGHE, L. SCHOLLIER, I. VAN SCHOOR 28.10
3 RUS K. KAZANTSEVA, A. MIKHAYLOVA, A. KHOLOD 28.05

Boys’ Pairs

The Final was one-hundred percent European in Boys’. With it no longer necessary to catch the top, as it is in the 11 – 16 category, fans were repeatedly impressed by the dynamic elements presented by these gymnasts. Another tight event wrapped up with Russia at the top, Shakhov / Bryzgalov, followed by British Pritchard / Houston, and Push / Yablonskyy of the Ukraine.

1 RUS E. SHAKHOV, D. BRYZGALOV 28.25
2 GBR T. PRITCHARD, A. HOUSTON 27.75
3 UKR 2 Z. PUSH, O. YABLONSKYY 27.70

Boys’ Groups

Five European Groups contended for the world title in this category. Obviously lacking were the Brits, traditionally strong in this discipline. Naturally, Russia dominated, ahead of Poland and the Ukraine. A second Silver medal for the host country, and a positive ending to an outstanding championships.

1 RUS 1 R. MAKHMUDOV, R. PRILEPIN, A. DEGTEREV, B. NEVZOROV 28.30
2 POL M. SWIECIK, M. SLUPECKI, M. RUCZKOWSKI, M. RUDZIAK 27.50
3 UKR 1 O. CHUCHUKALO, R. DEMCHYSHAK, A. KOROSTELEV, I. SMOLSKYY 27.45

Click here for the complete results of the World Age Group Competitions and check our online photo galleries for regular updates.

Closing Ceremony

At the end of today’s Finals, Piotr Mazur (POL), Director of the Sports and Tourism Department of the Municipality of Wroclaw, thanked all World Age Group gymnasts for having come to Wroclaw for these wonderful competitions, and congratulated all the medallists on their success.

The closing remarks of FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics Technical Committee President Tonya Case (USA) went in line with Mazur’s words. She was thrilled by the fantastic presentations as well as the large representation of countries and a high number of participants at these 6th FIG World Age Group competitions. Record participation! Case thanked the Polish Sports Acrobatics Federation and the numerous volunteers for a job well done in organising this event before she declared the competition closed.

Before returning to their home countries tomorrow, gymnasts and officials will celebrate together at tonight’s Farewell Party and tomorrow Wroclaw will welcome the senior gymnasts to the World Championships set for July 16 – 18.

Stay with us for more spectacular Acro action and tune in to the Wroclaw microsite for all related information!

22nd FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
Wroclaw (POL), July 16 – 18, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, July 6, 2010: With ten days to go before the 22nd FIG Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships gets going in Wroclaw (POL), July 16 – 18, 2010, fans are gearing up for the Acro season’s ultimate event!

Once registration had been tallied, 191 gymnasts representing 25 different countries from five continents had signed on: 14 Men’s Pairs; 10 Women’s Pairs; 22 Mixed Pairs; 17 Women’s Groups and 12 Men’s Groups.

Nominative entries have been made, and here’s what we can expect in Wroclaw:

Men’s Pairs

Among the fourteen registered Men’s Pairs, a number of duos stand out with strong results from recent competitions. In the absence of reigning World and World Games Champions Mikola Cherbak / Sergei Popov of the Ukraine, the hot favourite in this category is probably Russian Pair Konstantin Pilipchuk and Alexey Dudenko. The two placed second at both championships. Will they grab the title this time around?

Their toughest competition hails from Great Britain’s Edward Upcott and Douglas Fordyce, who won the Bronze at the 2008 World Championships and the 2009 World Games. More recently, they stunned British TV viewers alongside their group Spelbound, winning 2010 Britain’s Got Talent.

Also in the running are Yauheni Kalachou and Ruslan Fedchanka. The two young gymnasts from Belarus medalled at the 2008 World Age Group Competitions and placed second at the International Tournament “Stars above the Boug River” in February this year. Let’s see how they do at their first worlds!

Dmitry and Maxim Ivanov, another young Pair, hails from Russia. The newcomers topped the rankings at the Boug River tournament in Vinnitsa (UKR).

Chinese Yang Hengyi and Chen Hongen just barely missed out on a medal rank at the 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung. They are certainly looking to fix that this year!

Women’s Pairs

2008 World Champions Alina Yushko and Katsiaryna Murashko of Belarus once again count among the title aspirants for 2010, but competition is tough even though both 2009 World Games Champions De Vos / Henrist (BEL) and Kaoshiung Bronze medallists Grehan / Thorne (GBR) have retired and won’t be competing in Wroclaw!

Azerbaijanis Ayla Ahmadova and Dilara Sultanova, runners-up in Glasgow and Kaoshiung, are waiting for an opportunity to take their place among Acro’s finest! With only the Belgians ahead in Vinnitsa and the Volkov Cup in May this year, one might say that the way has been cleared for their victory.

Russia and Ukraine are lining up with young Pairs in the Women’s category. Anastasia Vashchenko and Elena Gladneva (RUS) won the Bronze at the 2008 WAGC and Kateryna Sytnikova medalled together with her partner Anastasiya Melnychenko (UKR) at the 2010 Boug River tournament. A step in the right direction if they’re aiming to secure a top spot in the Seniors category!

Mixed Pairs

Mixed Pairs, the largest category at these world championships in terms of participation, features 22 entries, and we can expect to see high level performances!

The line-up is headed by 2009 World Games Champions from the USA Kristin Allen and Michael Rodrigues, who are able to capture the public’s enthusiasm with great style and expression. The Americans are challenged by Julie van Gelder and Menno Vanderghote of Belgium, World Games runners-up and 2008 World Bronze medallists, who travel to Wroclaw with a victory from the 2010 Boug River tournament under their belts.

With the reigning World Champions and runners-up Gorbatyak / Barleben and Sviridova / Babarykin, missing from this competition, Russia entered Tatiana Okulova and Revaz Gurgenidze, who placed 4th in Kaohsiung. We can look forward to their show!

Men’s Groups

The spectacular Men’s Group competition presents the big three from Russia, China and Great Britain, promising an exciting and close run for the title!

Chervatov / Chulkov / Danchenko / Gurgenidze (RUS) are defending their World title against 2009 World Games Champions and 2008 World runners-up Xue / Fang / Zhao / Han (CHN). Recently on stage with Spelbound for British TV, the boys from Great Britain Buckingham / Mcassey / Uttley / Stranks are back in the saddle, and as World Games runners-up and Glasgow Bronze medallists they’re setting their sights high!

Also lining up in this category are captivating young Groups from Ukraine, Belarus and Poland, who placed among the top four at the last World Age Group Competitions. Keep an eye on them!

Women’s Groups

The reigning World Champions from Russia will not defend their title in Wroclaw, but the country lines up Trio Shaykhudinova / Stroynova / Loginova, who placed second in Glasgow and holds the 2009 World Games title in Women’s Group. Moreover, they have collected a number of Gold medals at this year’s international Acro meets. A serious candidate for the top of a Wroclaw podium!

Just having missed out on a medal in Kaohsiung but making a solid impression this year, the Belgian Group featuring Vam Hombeeck / Croket / Vanstaen can also hope for an upper rank, as can young Ukrainian contenders Kalyta / Vinnyk / Odintsova, World Games Bronze medallists and runners-up of the 2010 Boug River tournament.

Great Britain has not entered its runners-up from Kaohsiung, but with Blacklock / Thompson / Birch they are presenting their new national Champions. Something to look forward to!

The FIG opened its 2010 Wroclaw Acrobatic Gymnastics microsite at http://www.wroclaw2010.sportcentric.com/, where all event-related information is published and where fans can get immediate results, news and back stage photo galleries, updated regularly throughout the event.

Results of the World Age Group Competitions will also be included on this website.
Photos of the competitions will be uploaded in a timely manner after each event at www.fig-photos.com.

We look forward to seeing you soon in Wroclaw!

Acrobatic Gymnastics DVD

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, June 30, 2010: Hurry while supplies last! Stock for the DVD featuring the 2008 Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Glasgow is nearly sold out, and there won’t be any more forthcoming!

ACRO fans have mere days to get their copy. The best of this discipline’s competitions are included, complete with podiums and never before seen sequences filmed behind the scenes.

The DVD is available here at the special price of only CHF 12. - or € 9. -.

Get yours now! This offer is good through July 31, 2010.

Spelbound won Britain’s Got Talent 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, June 10, 2010: The 13 strong Acrobatic Gymnastic group, Spelbound were catapulted into fame (and hopefully fortune) in Great Britain after winning the country’s top TV entertainment talent show, Britain’s Got Talent, last Saturday. The show, in its 4th season, features thousands and thousands of different acts trying to win the £100,000 first prize and the chance to perform on the Royal Variety Performance on British TV and attended by members of the Royal Family.

“Fire And Ice”

After making it through to the final stages of the competition, the group, now based at Heathrow Gymnastics Club, had to perform firstly in a show televised live to the UK on a Monday and were up against some of the other favored acts from the series. The group, coached by Neil Griffiths with assistance from Andrew Griffiths, performed a specially created routine by choreographer and ex gymnast, Nicola Yellop called ‘Fire And Ice’. The idea for the routine was that the 7 male gymnasts represented ‘fire’ and the 6 girls were ‘ice’ with the routine being an ‘acrobatic joust’ to see who would triumph in the end. The ice maidens actually win at the end of the routine!

All the costumes for this routine and the subsequent final were produced from ideas supplied by the group to Milano, the UK’s biggest gymnastic clothing manufacturer and a supporter of British Gymnastics. Milano became a key, and much valued member of the Spelbound team and the group would like to thank them for all their hard work and creative brilliance.

A huge audience!

The TV audience for the first Spelbound appearance was linked to a public holiday in the UK and had a huge 19 million people TV audience who voted in huge numbers to send Spelbound through as the first of the 10 finalists to another live show screened the following Saturday. The share of the vote was overwhelmingly in Spelbound’s favor with 64% voting for the acrobats. Their nearest competition received 18% so you can see how much the country loved seeing the stunning visual display that acrobatic gymnastics delivers.

Fine tuning for the final

With just 4 days to prepare for the final, the group worked extremely hard fine tuning a previous routine and adding some ‘very special’ moves designed especially for the show. They also had to fit in school, exams and day jobs into a very busy schedule as well as their usual training programmes as 11 of the 13 will be representing Great Britain at the forthcoming World Championships and World Age Group Competitions in Wroclaw (POL) at the various age levels. So it was a very very busy week.

By Saturday, the programme now had their 10 final acts which ranged from singers to comedians and dog acts to street dancers. A real mix of talent and Spelbound were being hailed as the favourites to win in every newspaper, TV station and radio networks plus the internet carrying a vast amount of coverage of the show.

A spectacular surprise!

For the final programme, the group decided to deliver something even more spectacular so, with the inspiration from choreographer, Nic Yellop, they started the routine with a stunning throw of Senior Men’s Pair Top, Edward Upcott, from platform over the heads of the 3 judges seated 3 metres away and onto the stage an additional 5 metres away to be caught by two colleagues. The judges were unaware that the group had planned this move so were ‘stunned’ when Edward flew over their heads as they had not seen the three guys crouched behind them in the shadows. An amazing sight for the whole audience and 20 million people watching at home and one that was played over and over again on the show afterwards.

The rest of the routine was absolutely flawless and brought the only standing ovation of the night from the three judges and ended the show on an absolute high.

There was a 30 minute wait while the telephone voting was counted and then the top three was announced. Spelbound and their supporters in the audience held their breath as first a dance act was announced before a huge sigh of relief as the Group were put through to the final 3 acts. They were joined by a teenage drummer.

A memorable end and a great boost for Acrobatic Gymnastics!

And then the moment Spelbound, and the whole of acrobatics had waited for – the final result. After what seemed like minutes and with the tension in the studio building to enormous levels, Spelbound were announced as the winners of Britain’s Got Talent 2010 and an explosion of shouting, cheering and hugging followed with the gymnasts running off the stage and into the audience to join their weeping families watching. A truly memorable end to an amazing night. And one when acrobatic gymnastics has finally been acknowledged and people can now say, ‘I do acro – like Spelbound do’ and people asking about the sport will know what they mean.

Coach Neil Griffiths thinks this is an amazing opportunity for the group but doesn’t want them to lose their focus. Neil said: 'It's quite overwhelming and fantastic that all the hard work paid off. But, for now, the team have to train for the World Championships.' He added 'When you are a non-Olympics sport, to go to the World Championships places enormous pressure on the families. I hope this will make a big difference'.

The judges’ reaction

The show’s star judge and well known entertainment impressario, Simon Cowell likened Spelbound's routine to an Olympic gold medal-winning performance and said 'it was one of the most astonishing things he had ever seen on live TV”.

Fellow judge Amanda Holden added: 'We are hosting the Olympics Games and I can only think 'what a brilliant opening act'.'

Quotes of the gymnasts

1 NICK ILLINGWORTH, 25, GRADUATE: I've been concentrating on my gymnastics career. This is a huge reward and I just hope I can pay my parents back for driving me to gym ever day for so many years.

2 ALEX UTTLEY, 25, GYMNASTICS COACH: I coach kids aged 6-12 so I'm giving back to the sport what it's given to me over the past 16 and a half years.

3 HOLLI AMWOOD, 13, STUDENT: I think that performing has been really fun.

4 ADAM BUCKINGHAM, 21, PERSONAL TRAINER: I currently work but I would really like to perform at the Olympics. That has been my dream.

5 AMY MACKENZIE, 12, STUDENT: I'm still studying at school, so the experience has been amazing.

6 DOUG FORDYCE, 20, ADMIN ASSISTANT: I want to help my family out. My mum and dad lost their business last year and they have got some debts, so I really want to help them to pay them off.

7 EDWARD UPCOTT, 18, STUDENT: I've just finished college, studying performing arts. Winning means so much to get some recognition for our sport. I want to keep on training with Spelbound and see where it takes us.

8 KATIE AXTEN, 17, STUDENT: I've got my exams in just a couple of weeks. I was going to spend the prize money on helping pay for my university fees - but I don't think I'll be going until next year now.

9 JOHN STRANKS, 15, STUDENT: I just hope winning the show can change my life. I'll remember it for ever.

10 LAUREN KEMP, 18, STUDENT: I just want to treat my parents and pay them back for everything they've done for me and the sacrifices they've made in the 14 years I've been doing gym.

11 LEIGH ANNE COWLER, 19, GYMNASTIC COACH: I've been doing gymnastics since I was just two years old. It's nice to get something out of it and get recognition for the sport.

12 ABIGAIL RALPH, 16, STUDENT: I think the opportunity this show has given me is incredible.

The coaches

Neil Griffiths, 37, COACH AT HEATHROW GYMNASTICS CLUB: My main interest for entering was to help to increase the profile of the sport. Everything else we get from here on in is a bonus for us.

Adam McASSEY, 21, COACH: This experience has been total!

The bright future

The Group’s success has brought them numerous appearances on British TV and radio and a large press conference attended by numerous journalists, photographers and camera crews which saw them featured in most of the daily newspapers and major radio stations in Great Britain.

So will Spelbound or Acrobatic Gymnastics ever grace a future Olympic Games in some way? Only time will tell but Spelbound have certainly raised the profile of acrobatic gymnastics to a huge global audience so if it does happen, everyone will know why.

Andy Mackenzie, Creative Director, Spelbound

The FIG reported on the group’s first gig in April 2010. Click here to read the article.

Moreover, an interview with Great Britain’s Men’s Pair Edward Upcott / Douglas Fordyce, who are part of the “Spelbound” group, was published in the latest World of Gymnastics magazine (no. 60). Get your own copy at the FIG Shop!

Watch the video of Spelbound’s performance in the show’s final on Youtube and read reactions in the press!

Yahoo! Sport
BBC News
Telegraph
AFP
Mirror
Sky News
Express

Gymnastics World Cup

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, June 3, 2010: On May 25, 2010, organisers of the biggest gymnastics world cup tournaments the world over were invited to the FIG Head Office in Lausanne (SUI) to become acquainted with the new World Cup Regulations for the Federation’s six competitive disciplines. The format, that has been decided by the Executive COmmitte in its last meeting in Lausanne, will come into effect officially on January 1, 2011.

Launched by President Grandi (ITA) and engineered with the help of the Technical Presidents and Competitions Commission, the project is innovative, attractive and equitable for gymnasts and organisers alike. The objective was to favour entertainment value through a more concise format, regrouping the best tournaments into two distinct sectors. The programme was not only hailed by participants, it elicited a very lively and constructive debate within gymnastics, at the centre of which was prize money, TV production and marketing rights.

“La recette du Chef!”

Starting January 1, 2011, the best athletes from Men’s and Women’s Artistic, will have at their fingertips events tailored to fit their level of skill, financially subsidized for artistic gymnastics and with more complete television coverage.

Category A tournaments regroup elite competitions organised in prestigious cities and venues; these are long-standing competitions with good television coverage. Participation will be limited. The objective is to foregather the world’s top gymnasts in a venue with excellent media presence and an enthusiastic public.

Category B tournaments are open to more diverse participation. These are intended for affiliated federations wishing to develop gymnastics within their own borders by hosting a high-level, international event.

The ingredients for the new programme selected by the Chef himself will please both gymnast and spectator on the FIG World Cup Circuit. The national federations are invited to start bidding. Deadline by June 30. Decisions and calendar details will be published by the FIG Presidential Commission in July 2010.

Development of Acrobatic Gymnastics

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, May 21, 2010: Upon an invitation by the Chinese Gymnastics Association, Ms Tonya Case, President of the FIG Acrobatics Gymnastics Technical Committee, paid a friendly visit to China from April 17 – 22, 2010. Her primary purpose was to secure China’s full support in promoting ACRO development in Asia and throughout the world. During her stay, she attended training sessions at Nanjing’s Institute of Physical Education and the Shanghai Physical Education Technology Institute on April 18, 19 and 21, accompanied by Mr Li Yanling, Vice-President of the FIG ACRO TC, and Mr Tang Jinshan, Deputy Director of the Office for Trampoline and Acrobatics Gymnastics of the General Administration of Sport in China, where she consulted with coaches and judges on-site.

Mr Luo Chaoyi, Vice-President of the Chinese Gymnastics Association, held formal talks with Ms Case in Beijing on April 20, 2010, focusing on the development of Acrobatic Gymnastics not only in Asia but across the globe. Both parties gave constructive input, which ultimately resulted in an overall feeling of consensus. China will thus concentrate on developing ACRO in Asia while the Acrobatic Gymnastics TC actively supports the development of the sport in China. Ms Case was encouraged by the discussions and has made her willingness to support the initiative very clear.

The possibility of the Chinese Gymnastics Association hosting the 2011 ACRO World Cup Competition and an ACRO TC meeting was also a point of debate. Mr Luo Chaoyi says he anticipates hosting these events and will be consulting with the various departments before reaching any final conclusions.

It would appear that the visit to China was a full success, and Tonya Case says she is more than satisfied with the results.

(source: Chinese Gymnastics Association, adapt. FIG)

6th World Age Group Competitions and
22nd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
Wroclaw (POL), July 10 – 12 and July 16 – 18, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, May 20, 2010: With less than two months to go to the 6th World Age Group Competitions and the 22nd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships in Wroclaw (POL), gymnasts are getting ready for this exciting highlight of the Acro season.

With the numbers in, an official drawing of lots was conducted at the FIG Council meeting in Chiba (JPN) on May 13, 2010 by Technical Committee President Tonya Case (USA) and in the presence of FIG Secretary General André Gueisbuhler.

A total of 201 gymnasts from 25 different countries are expected to compete at the World Championships, a 26% increase over the 2008 Worlds in Glasgow (GBR). Seven new countries will participate this year in Poland: the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Israel, Moldova, Poland and Puerto Rico.

For Age Groups, 32 federations and 446 gymnasts are registered; that’s 20% more than in Glasgow.

Looking at participant numbers, Case is encouraged by the positive development that has overtaken the discipline. “The TC members made many personal contacts to encourage countries to take part in World Championships and World Age Group Competition. We established goals for 2010 and we have exceeded our goals. This will be the largest number of competing countries since the IFSA merger with the FIG. The growth is exciting,” she commented.

Check the result charts of the draw for the World Age Group Competitions 11 – 16 years / 12 – 19 years and the World Championships and find more information on the event website!

Nominative registration closes on June 9, 2010.

 

Britain’s Got Talent 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, April 30, 2010: A group of thirteen acrobats from Spelthorne Gymnastics Club, located in central Ashford, south-west of London (GBR), impressed the jury of “Britain’s Got Talent” and millions of television viewers with a spectacular performance last Saturday.

Gymnasts came to showcase the skills required for their particular sport to a wider audience, and it’s fair to say they succeeded! A huge Saturday night TV audience was treated to a visual display that has taken the country by storm, resulting in a huge wave of publicity and media interest in these gymnasts, and Acrobatic Gymnastics in general.

Among the performers were Adam Mcassey, Adam Buckingham, Alexander Uttley and Jonathan Stranks, who make up the one and the same Men’s Group that won Silver at last year’s World Games in Kaohsiung (TPE).

The show

Britain’s Got Talent is a British television show presenting singers, dancers, comedians, variety acts and other performers who compete against each other for audience support. The winner of each series receives £100,000 and is given the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance before members of the Royal Family, including the Queen. Having kicked off in 2007, this year’s series, which was launched on April 17, marks the series’ fourth edition.

The club

Spelthorne Gymnastics Club was formed in 1986 by Bob Cooper, when he retired from competitive Acrobatic Gymnastics (Mixed Pairs). The club currently embraces a range of gymnastic disciplines and has consistently produced World, European and British Champions in Acrobatic Gymnastics at the Senior and Junior levels, as well as numerous International and National Champions in the other disciplines.

The club maintains its position at the forefront of British acrobatics by sticking to an ethos of high standard coaching and training that allow their gymnasts to reach their true potential in competitions of a Regional Grade to Senior World level Championships.

The project

The Club made contact with Britain’s Got Talent and decided to enter a small group of thirteen acrobats selected from their elite group. A routine was choreographed by Simon Horrill, an ex-Royal Ballet dancer from London who is now based at London Studios, using high-powered music and spectacular acrobatic balances and dynamic elements. The Head Acrobatics Coach at the Club is Neil Griffiths.

“The Spelbound Group” was then invited to the first stage of the auditions in November 2009.

The first gig

At the first stage, Spelbound was selected from among thousands of other acts to move on to the second stage and perform in front of the TV judges as part of a competition process. This was on Saturday April 24, 2010, at the world famous Hammersmith Apollo with 5,000 people watching. The acrobats were the only act that day to receive a standing ovation from the audience and the ‘buzz’ afterwards did not remain unnoticed by the judges. Simon Cowell said, “I have never seen anything like that in my life,” while Amanda Holden commented, “it was absolutely faultless …. outstanding ….absolutely incredible … incredible“.

The TV audience for that show was 12.2 million people.

To be continued …

Even though all three judges gave Spelbound thumbs up for their performance, the group still has to wait and see if it gets selected to go through to the next round. The next round is a ‘live’ TV performance and the timing of the acts is reduced from 2.5 mins to 1.5 mins. This part of the competition is one of the largest TV shows in the UK, last year attracting something like 20 million viewers.

The participants in this stage will not be revealed by Britain’s Got Talent until May 29, 2010.

We can’t wait and will stay tuned!

Watch a video of Spelbound’s performance online and read reactions in the press!

Telegraph
Metro
Digital Spy
Unreality TV

Bob Cooper, Director of Spelthorne Gymnastics Club, contributed to this article.

6th World Age Group Competitions and
22nd Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships
Wroclaw (POL), July 10 – 12 and July 16 – 18, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, April 15, 2010: The drawing of lots for the 6th World Age Group Competitions and the 22nd World Championships in Acrobatic Gymnastics will be conducted at the FIG Council meeting in Chiba (JPN) on May 13, 2010. The events are slated for July 10 – 12 and July 16 – 18, 2010 respectively in Wroclaw (POL).

Record participation!

At the cut-off date for definitive registration, the FIG reported the participation of 26 federations and 203 gymnasts as follows: 15 Men’s Pairs, 11 Women’s Pairs, 23 Mixed Pairs, 19 Women’s Groups and 12 Men’s Groups.

For Age Groups, also at definitive registration, organisers recorded the participation of 33 federations and 448 gymnasts, broken up into the following categories: Category 11 – 16 years: 9 Boys’ Pairs, 27 Girls’ Pairs, 14 Mixed Pairs, 28 Girls’ Groups and 4 Boys’ Groups; Category 12 – 19 years: 14 Boys’ Pairs, 24 Girls’ Pairs, 22 Mixed Pairs, 32 Girls’ Groups and 8 Boys’ Groups.

The draw will be conducted by FIG ACRO Technical Committee President Tonya Case (USA), in the presence of FIG Secretary General André Gueisbuhler.

Find result charts and comments on the ACRO pages of the FIG website and on the respective event calendar entries (Seniors / Juniors) immediately following the draw.

Australian ACRO Worlds trials
Penrith (AUS), March 13 – 14, 2010

OAKLEIGH (AUS) - LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, March 19, 2010: Gymnastics Australia held the ACRO World Championship & World Age Group trials last weekend.

The 2010 Australian Team Selection Trial for the upcoming World Championships & World Age Group Competition was hosted by Gymnastics New South Wales (NSW) at Penrith YMCA on the weekend of March 13 - 14. A generous competition schedule, designed to reduce pressure on the acrobats and also provided sufficient time for the five Australian FIG judges (including the 3 selectors) to assess performances. The competition was well supported by families and fellow acrobats hailing from New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Queensland.

Fourteen acrobats were vying for selection in the 11-16 Junior Age Group division across the three disciplines - Women's Pairs, Mixed Pairs and Women's Groups. In the 12-19 Junior Age Group division, thirteen acrobats in Women's Pairs, Women's Groups and a Mixed Pair disciplines performed their three routines alongside the four Senior International Women's Groups and one Senior International Mixed Pair.

Many of the acrobatic partnerships included individuals who had represented Australia in previous cycles; consequently the overall standard is higher each year as our depth increases for Australia's International Programme. There was a noticeable improvement made from those acrobats who last competed at the Australian National Championships in December 2009 as well as some newly formed partnerships hoping to impress.

Sunday morning was a highlight of the trial, as the Seniors and 12-19 Juniors presented their combined routines. There were some exciting skill combinations displayed and some excellent artistic performances to music with Australian themes including the Cat Empire and Waltzing Matilda!

After having assessed each group’s international potential, the selectors took some challenging decisions and announced the Australian Team on March 18.

(source: Gymnastics Australia)

Acrobatic British Championships 2010
Fenton Manor, Stoke-on-Trent (GBR), March 20 - 21, 2010

LILLESHALL (GBR) - LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, March 19, 2010: This weekend’s championships feature the first major competition on the British Acrobatic Gymnastics national calendar 2010, with over 250 gymnasts representing 28 gym clubs, who will battle for the coveted title of British Champion in their respective discipline.

The 2010 British Championships promise to be keenly contested, as from this weekend’s event gymnasts will be invited to take part in the Controlled events to select the Teams for the World Age Group Championships and The Senior World Championships, to be held in July in Poland.

Along with the established firm favourites are those who have been hard at work in preparation and training for 2010, with international selection being the ultimate goal. The crowd will see first-rate performances of unequalled rivalry from the many talented gymnasts taking part.

With at least ten clubs in 2009 providing champions it is inevitable that the overall standard of these championships will be as exceptional as ever.

In 2009 the British Acrobatic Gymnasts won 6 World Games medals with 24 medals being won at the European Championship, make that 25 as the British Trio have recently been promoted to the Bronze medal position following a disqualification.

Background

Acrobatics was first introduced to Great Britain in 1974, it was known then as Sports Acrobatics, which included Tumbling, competing on the World stage under the banner of International Federation of Sports Acrobatics (IFSA). The sports remained as such until 1997, when Tumbling was incorporated with the sport of Trampolining and Acrobatics became an independent sport. Both became members of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

Great Britain is one of the few nations still to run Acrobatic and Tumbling Gymnastics together in their National Calendar; however, this year’s British Championships brings a startling change to the format of the competition. For the first time Tumbling will not be with us at Fenton Manor.

As British Gymnastics will be hosting the World Championships for Trampoline and Tumbling in 2011 the Tumbling British Championships will this year run alongside the Trampoline and DMT British Championships at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham so that they can use the championships as a test event.

Click here to find the full 2009 Acrobatic British Championships results.

Schedule

Saturday March 20
Senior: MP, WP & MxP, WG & MG, Balance & Dynamic Routines
Junior: MP, WP, MxP, WG & MG, Balance & Dynamic Routines
Age Group 11 – 16 yrs: MP, WP & MG Balance Routines
Age Group 11 – 16 yrs: MxP & WG Dynamic Routines

Sunday March 21
Age Group 11 – 16 yrs: MP, WP & MG, Dynamic Routines
Age Group 11– 16 yrs: MxP & WG, Balance Routines
Senior: MP, WP, MxP, WG & MG Combined Final
Junior: MP, WP, MxP, WG & MG, Combined Final

(source: British Gymnastics)