FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup A
Feria Internacional de Albacete World Cup
Albacete (ESP), September 3 – 4, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, September 1, 2010: Fourth in a series of seven events, the upcoming Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup in Albacete (ESP), slated for September 3 – 4, 2010, marks the midway point in this year’s series. The Royal Spanish Gymnastics Federation and the local organisers of the Federación de Castilla La Mancha de Gimnasia look forward to welcoming a total of 74 gymnasts at the Pabellón Universitario Ciudad de Albacete.

The World Cup includes competitions in Men’s and Women’s Individual and Synchronised Trampoline, but no Tumbling or Double Mini-Trampoline competition. However, a parallel event featuring a Double Mini-Trampoline competition for the elite class and an Age Group competition is held in Albacete.

The City of Albacete has been hosting an international annual competition since 2001, so this is the tenth consecutive international tournament in Castilla La Mancha. Over the course of this decade, it has adopted very different formats both in competing disciplines (TRA, DMT, TUM & SYN) and in age groups (seniors, juniors, FIG age groups...).

In 2008 the competition became part of the FIG World Cup Series for the first time ever, achieving even higher recognition as an important event on the trampoline calendar worldwide.

This year is the 300th anniversary of the International Fair of the Town, an event which has influenced the name of this competition. A local party starts immediately following the World Cup and this competition is one of the main attractions on this year’s programme. More information at http://feria-de-albacete.albacity.org/

Albacete boasts the highest number of athletes competing in Trampoline disciplines in all of Spain. Since its very beginnings in 1994, José Miguel Cantos (1969) has fostered the sport in this town gleaning impressive results at both national and international events since 2000. Nowadays, the training centre of Albacete is one of the best-equipped in Europe and the quantity and quality of their athletes has been translated in diverse medals in European Championships and World Age Group Games.

Claudia Prat (1988) is the main star on the Spanish trampoline team. She collected a Bronze medal in the Oostende World Cup in 2009. It was the first medal ever for a Spanish athlete in Trampoline within the FIG World Cup programme. Her high difficulty level and height places her as one of the main candidates for reaching the elite. Also in the Women’s event, Cristina Sainz (2008 European Junior finalist), Katish Hernández (2008 European Junior SYN Champion) and Laura García are building a team in the hopes of garnering good results in the upcoming World Championships in Metz (FRA). All three are from Albacete, so the local support will help them in their transition to the international level.

José Manuel Muñoz (1983) is the leader of the Spanish Men’s team. Together with Marc Piñol (1988), they finished 4th in Synchro in the last European Championships in Varna (BUL) and they’ll be shooting for a spot in this event’s Final. David Jiménez, Alejandro Ruiz-Cuevas and Álvaro Calero are three young local athletes trying to get a solid result that will consolidate their promising international careers.

Check complete entry lists here!

Further information on the tournament can be found online at www.albaceteworldcup.es

2008 Title Holders

Men’s Individual  LU Chunlong (CHN)  41.000
Women’s Individual HE Wenna (CHN)  38.900
Men’s Synchro CHERNONOS Olexandr / NIKITIN Yuriy (UKR) 50.100
Women’s Synchro CHERNOVA Natalia / KARAVAEVA Irina (RUS) 48.300
Men’s Double Mini RUIZ-CUEVAS QUINTERO Alejandro (ESP) 75.100
Women’s Double Mini VORONINA Victoria (RUS) 70.400

The next stopover of the 2010 World Cup circuit in Trampoline Gymnastics will be in Astrakhan (RUS) on September 17 – 18, followed by Loulé (POR) on September 24 – 25.

World Vice-Champion and Talent Scout

Hubert Barthod dies tragically

Lausanne (SUI) / FIG Office – Montreal (CAN), August 26, 2010: Hubert Barthod, former member of the French Trampoline Team and scout for the Cirque du Soleil, died tragically on August 24, 2010 in Montreal (CAN), where he resided. Barthod was in his 46th year.

Junior World Champion in Trampoline, Hubert Barthod spent 10 years at the top of the Trampoline hierarchy in France, taking the All-around national title on two occasions. He performed with World Vice-Champion Lionel Pioline (FRA) as Trampoline Synchro’s famous tricolour pair in 1986, at the world championships in Paris (FRA).

Barthod discovered the circus and attended a sports university in 1997 in Rio de Janeiro (BRA), where he installed crossbars and stands with elastic beds, the first closed trampolines, on the beautiful beaches of Rio. He would assemble his own performing group known as Os Aeroloucos, the Crazy Fliers, and choreograph shows with Brazilian companies Irmaos Brothers and Intrepida Trupe, before establishing his own circus and acrobatics school, the Central de Santa.

Barthod would ultimately encounter the Cirque du Soleil, become a casting partner in Brazil and permanently relocate to Montreal (CAN), headquarters of the prestigious company which is, incidentally, a privileged partner of the International Gymnastics Federation.

The FIG extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Hubert Barthod.

(Texte français)

 

1st Youth Olympic Games
Singapore (SIN), August 14 – 26, 2010

Trampoline Gymnastics

SINGAPORE (SIN), FIG Office, August 21, 2010: Yesterday, the twenty-four Youth Olympic trampolinists put on a thrilling show at Bishan Sports Hall. Local spectators, who had not seen anything like this before what with Trampoline Gymnastics still in the throes of development, were amazed by the high jumps and fascinating skills these youngsters were able to perform on the trampoline. And they did not hold back their excitement, but went all out to provide an enjoyable, supportive and motivating atmosphere for the athletes.

Girls

The day started with the girls’ Qualification, immediately followed by their Final. From twelve contenders, the field was cut down to eight in the Final and everyone was eager to secure their spot. During the first qualifying pass gymnasts are required to show compulsory elements, but the second pass is an open platform for shows of more complex and difficult elements. With difficulty comes increased risk, which on an unfortunate day can mean that gymnasts are not able to complete their routines for unfortunate landings on the edge of the trampoline; it happens.

And that’s exactly what did happen to Germany’s Leonie Adam, who looked promising in the first round and really fancied that spot in the Final. She had to accept a dispiriting twelfth place in the end.

Dutch Denise Liefting started off well enough, but in her second routine she looked a bit shaky, coming close to the trampoline’s edge on several occasions. She finished 10th.

The field was headed by China’s Dong Yi, US American Savannah Vinsant, Belarusian Sviatlana Makshitarova, Japan’s Chisato Doihata and Mariah Madigan of Canada, who were all to be counted in for the medal run, while Dong set the mark in Qualification with an overall score of 68.400. She impressed with spectacular heights and clean execution of complex skills, looking very comfortable straight through her exercises.

Cavannah and Sviatlana performed with equal confidence and tied after Qualification with 64.600 points behind Dong.

In the Final Dong gave another remarkable demonstration of her excellent technique, topping the ranking with a score of 39.900 and claiming the Gold.
'It is a great honour to win, but this was just a moment of glory. It's only the beginning. Now it's time to get back to training,' the young trampoliner, who describes herself as a restless person, said after the competition.

Sviatlana confirmed her strong performance from the Qualifications and another great routine won her the Silver with 37.700 points.

Savannah experienced one of those unfortunate days, landing on the edge of the mat at the end of an otherwise very good final routine, and dropping back to fifth place in the end (33.500).

Fate smiled on Chisato. The young Japanese gymnast was in sixth during Qualification, but a very impressive and well-executed final routine put her into third rank; she took off the Bronze with 36.700 points. 'I was very happy to take part, but taking part is not enough if you don't also have the desire to take it to the next level with a medal,' she said. Hailing from Osaka, the 16 year old trains in her school gym where she tries to be as successful as her hero, 2000 Russian Gold medal winner Irina Karavaeva (RUS).

Canada’s Mariah Madigan came fourth, scoring a 35.600.

Check the results!
Qualifications
Finals

Boys

The boys’ Trampoline field was headed by China’s He Yuxiang, Ukrainian Oleksandr Satin and Ginga Munetomo of Japan during Qualification. Representing China as a country with a strong tradition in acrobatics and a strong programme for Trampoline Gymnastics, He's excellent technique and the incredible height of his jumps wowed the crowd.

Hailing from the Ukraine, home of 2004 Olympic Champion Yuriy Nikitin, Oleksandr attends a great Trampoline school. The routines he performed here in Singapore were spectacular, and every skill displayed very complex elements.

Ginga loves to feel weightless. The 16 year old Tokyo athlete jumps for the Oizumi Sparrow Taiiku Club and he wants to promote the sport of Trampoline to the masses. There’s no better promotion than the routines he displayed at Bishan Sports Hall last night. Ginga shone with very clean and complex performances that put him into third during the preliminaries. He’s a strong contender for a medal.

Junior European Champion Apostolos Koutavas of Greece flaunted fabulous skill, but bungled the end of his second routine when he hit the corner of the mat; seventh place in Qualification.

Oliver Amann of Germany delighted his coach with well-controlled routines last night and awe-inspiring elements. He looked very confident and qualified in fourth place. The Final also went really well for Oliver; he hit a solid routine that placed him fifth in the end (65.800).

Apostolos redeemed himself after his mistake in the Qualification; he soared into fourth with 39.200 points.

The battle for medals was left to He, Oleksandr and Ginga. Without a single major mistake, the three wonderful trampolinists bedazzled the crowd once more with spectacular performances.

In the end, it was Oleksandr who topped the ranking with a score of 41.000. He mastered the high difficulty of his routine with excellence, setting the bar for He, who competed last. With identical Execution scores (26.000), a bit less Difficulty relegated him to a Silver winning second place (40.700). Ginga kept up with Difficulty, but his Execution was evaluated a little lower. He finished third with a total of 40.000 points.

Check the results!
Qualifications
Finals

Gymnastics at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games continues today with the first of two days of Artistic Gymnastics Apparatus Finals.

Stay tuned!

1st Youth Olympic Games
Singapore (SIN), August 14 – 26, 2010

Bishan Opening Press Conference

SINGAPORE (SIN), FIG Office, August 15, 2010: Today, the governing bodies of two of the top Olympic sports, athletics and gymnastics, invited representatives of the media to a joint opening press conference at Bishan Sports Hall. Both housed within the Bishan sports facilities for the duration of these 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) took advantage of this opportunity to familiarise the media with the venues and update them on the upcoming competitions.

Journalists had a chance to meet with the two Athletes’ Role Models and one YOG participant from each sport, who stood by for question and answer as well as photo sessions.

IAAF Athletes’ Role Model Wilson Kipketer (DEN), who currently holds the World Record in the 800m, emphasised the many things athletics and gymnastics have in common. Wilson says that with the number of educational opportunities provided at the YOG, his junior fellow athletes would be wise to get involved, learn through their sport and enjoy life.

1997 World Horizontal Bar Champion Jani Tanskanen (FIN) is not only a great former gymnast, the FIG Athletes’ Role Model is also the Technical Director of Men’s Artistic Gymnastics at Svoli, the Finnish Gymnastics Federation, and in January this year he was elected President of the FIG Athletes’ Commission. Jani stressed that being a champion does not only mean to win, it also means handling defeat while respecting the Olympic values of Excellence, Respect and Friendship.

Swedish pole vaulter Angelica Bengtsson, 2010 World Junior Champion and 2009 World Youth Champion, is keen on winning the Youth Olympic Games title as well. The cheerful young athlete has enjoyed her YOG experience so far and has no problem speaking to the media. “It’s like talking to normal people,” the 17 year old says smilingly. To improve in her discipline, Angelica actually does some gymnastics training as well and she looked great on the uneven bars, supported by Jani.

Singaporean Artistic gymnast Timothy Tay, also 17, had the honour of carrying the Olympic flag at last night’s Opening Ceremony. He is very excited about the upcoming competitions and feels honoured to represent the host country in his discipline at the very first Youth Olympic Games. “It will probably be the biggest competition of my life,” Timothy said, anticipating that the greatest challenge will be to manage his own nervous tension.

Timothy starts competition tomorrow at Bishan Sports Hall, while Angelica takes to the mat on Tuesday. We wish good luck to both of them!

SINGAPORE (SIN), August 14, 2010: The Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games got off to a dazzling start on Saturday night, with the city's skyline providing a magnificant backdrop to a rousing opening ceremony dedicated to the more than 3,500 athletes in attendance from all corners of the world.
 
The 27,000 people at Marina Bay were treated to a two-hour show that showcased Singapore's rich history and celebrated the cultural diversity of the country's indigenous people and the young Olympians, aged 14 to 18, who will compete in the Games' 26 events.
 
The inaugural competition is designed to be a stepping stone for young athletes striving to compete at the Summer Olympics. And while sport will be the main focus over the next two weeks, there is a simultaneous cultural and educational programme to teach the athletes from the 204 participating countries about Olympic values and global issues.
 
"From this moment on, young people from around the world have a chance to participate in a global event that combines sport, education and culture," IOC president Jacques Rogge (BEL) said.
 
"Throughout this programme, our young Olympians will take part in activities and discussions on global and social issues as well as learn how they can make a positive impact in their community," said Singapore president S R Nathan.
 
The show was tailored for the age group it was addressing and its messages ranged from fairness in competition to combating hunger and disease and promoting world peace. It also included 54 teen-oriented multimedia videos specifically produced for the opening ceremony.
 
"It's an excellent Games. Youth is very important, they are the future of the world,'' said IOC member Sam Ramsamy (RSA). "Everything tonight made it clear about the importance of a healthy lifestyle in the body and the mind. It also shows us that friendship is more important than becoming rivals in sports."
 
"It is an outstanding ceremony. It addresses a lot of challenges the world faces,'' said Australian IOC member John Coates. "I've seen so many ceremonies but this is one of the best in terms of the age group it's addressing."
 
The opening ceremony marked the first time Olympic athletes were brought into the event early and did not march behind flags of their country. Spectators were on their feet clapping and cheering when the competitors entered from both sides of the stage of the Marina Bay venue.
 
This was followed by a thunderous display of drumming, accompanied by myriad dancers of all ages.
 
At one point, a menacing monster that represented the inner fears and struggles of everyone in attendance cast an imposing shadow over the event.
 
More than 5,000 performers, including children from 47 Singapore schools, were involved in the ceremony.
 
Throughout the show, fireworks lit the sky. More than 2,000 were used and they were synchronised to the music and shot from the crowns of various buildings around Marina Bay.
 
The result was a spectacular occasion from beginning to end.
 
It seemed appropriate that sailor Darren Choy, Singapore's 2010 Sportsboy of the Year, was given the honour of lighting the Youth Olympic flame. Choy competes in the boys' one-person dinghy event and the 32-metre high cauldron he ignited resembled a lighthouse to symbolise a guiding light that welcomes people to a safe harbour.
 
At the end, Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps (USA), who won eight gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Games, reminded the young athletes that winning was not everything.
 
"Do your best but above all, have fun," Phelps said in a video address.
 
source: YONS aa/spd/gs/mr

1st Youth Olympic Games
Singapore (SIN), August 14 – 26, 2010

Presidential Address

SINGAPORE (SIN), FIG Office, August 14, 2010: International Olympic Committee (IOC) President and creator of the Youth Olympic Games concept, Jacques Rogge, described his feelings about the inaugural Games today as “a father waiting in the delivery room”. However, he hopes staging the Games will be somewhat easier than educating his own kids, Rogge added with a smile at this morning’s Opening Press Conference in Singapore (SIN).

The IOC President is absolutely thrilled with the remarkable preparation of the Games by the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC), who had a mere 2 1/2 years to get ready from the day their bid was approved to today’s Opening Ceremony. A relatively short time period, considering the fact that organising committees of traditional Olympic Games get seven years to prepare.

No major problems have been reported so far, and both International Sports Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) are satisfied with the installations. Rogge said he is pleased with the universality of these Youth Olympic Games and with all 205 NOCs being represented in Singapore.

Last night’s welcome party at the Youth Olympic Village (YOV) was permeated with a youthful spirit, while a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere got everyone in the mood for the Games.

Rogge looks at this first edition of an ambitious project as the start of a successful series that will be well observed, monitored, evaluated and hopefully improved in the future.

With some 166 countries airing the Singapore Youth Olympic Games and 25 countries covering the Opening and Closing Ceremonies live, the IOC President is pleased with Media interest.

The IOC has always understood its mission to go beyond simply organising sport events. With extensive efforts to provide education, the concept of the Youth Olympic Games includes a Cultural and Education Programme (CEP) that aims to reach out to young athletes at an age when they are still receptive to new concepts. Through the CEP, the IOC is investing in the education of its athletes, helping them to develop skills for life, social responsibilities and a strong belief in Olympic values.

When asked about the pressure these young athletes might feel at the Youth Olympic Games, President Rogge remained unaffected, stating that the competition formats have been carefully assessed in collaboration with the IFs and tailored to fit the needs and developmental stages of Junior athletes.

Commenting on tonight’s Opening Ceremony, Rogge promised an innovative show with elements that have not yet been seen at any of the traditional Games; hopefully these will put a smile on the faces of the 3,600 participating athletes and spectators worldwide.

Let the show begin!

1st Youth Olympic Games
Singapore (SIN), August 14 – 26, 2010

SINGAPORE (SIN), FIG Office, August 12, 2010: The Olympic Flame reached Singapore last week and continues to gain ground as the Olympic spirit stirs. Many of the 3,600 participating athletes have arrived at the Youth Olympic Village, which opened its doors Tuesday at the Nanyang Technological University.

The first ever Youth Olympic Games, a creation of IOC President Jacques Rogge, will kick off this Saturday with what is expected to be an impressive Opening Ceremony at Singapore’s The Float@Marina Bay. The Games are about staging high-level competition in 26 sports while providing guidance and encouragement to the participants, Juniors from age 14 to 18 years. In addition to two weeks of top notch competition, the athletes, who will be staying in Singapore through August 27, will take part in a wide range of cultural and educational activities in a programme known as the CEP. These activities, most of them held at the Youth Olympic Village, are aimed at equipping Junior athletes with the skills to make smart and solid decisions in life. Topics such as a healthy lifestyle, the dangers of doping, the value of solidarity and fair play are highlighted in an atmosphere of friendship and fun.

“The Youth Olympic Games will give the athletes a chance to compete, to learn and to share experiences with other young people,” states Rogge. And they are meant to inspire, as they have already done. The example of 12 year old Singaporean schoolboy Wei Jei, who ran 15 kilometres in his flip flops only to get drenched in rain as he trailed the Olympic Torch on Tuesday, is inspirational and hopefully will be followed by others. Having moved many people with his passion and determination, the boy became a local hero overnight and has been made one of today’s torch bearers by the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) and Singapore’s Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

The first Youth Olympic Games will certainly become an unforgettable event and the experience of a lifetime for these young Olympians, as well as for spectators and fans. People are getting excited as the lighting of the Olympic Flame in Singapore draws nearer.

Gymnastics events will begin on Monday, August 16, with the qualifying round in Men’s Artistic Gymnastics, followed by Women’s Artistic Gymnastics on Tuesday. All-around Finals are slated for August 18 and 19, and Apparatus Finals on August 21 and 22. Trampoline Gymnastics will be held on August 20 and Rhythmic Gymnastics events for Individuals and Groups are scheduled for August 24 and 25.

Eleni Polychronidou passed away.

Lausanne (SUI) / FIG Office, August 04, 2010:Amazement and sorrow were expressed within the international gymnastics family about the death of Eleni Polychronidou. Felled by the illness she passed away, surrounded by her relatives, in Athens on August 3. She was 50 years old. 

Eleni’s souvenir will remain bound to her extraordinary achievements in the development of Rhythmic Gymnastics as a coach and choreographer at the head of the Greek national team. Expertise, charisma and willpower led Eleni towards the highest senior responsibilities within her Federation and the Greek Olympic Committee.

The FIG shall remember Eleni’s as a woman with a gleaming face entirely dedicated to her sport and to all those who were privileged to cross her paths. She embodied at the same time creation among her gymnasts, pugnacity at the head of gymnastics during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and smile to this life she liked above all accompanied by her friends.

Eleni is now in Olympia together with the goddesses who look so much alike her.

The entire FIG family expresses its condolences to Eleni’s relatives and friends.

XXI Central American and Caribbean Games
Mayaguez (PUR), July 17 - August 1, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, July 28, 2010: Mexico’s Jorge and Maria Reynaud prevailed in the Men's and Women's Individual Trampoline Finals of the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games held on July 23, 2010, in Bogotá, Colombia.

A total of five countries took part in the Trampoline competitions at the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games, that are headquartered in the City of Mayaguez in Puerto Rico. Bogotá, Colombia, as a second venue, was honored to receive the Trampoline Gymnastics competitors from Mexico, Puerto Rico and debut countries Colombia, Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

In the Men's Individual competition, Jorge Garcia (21) MEX – 36.300 pts triumphed over Natanael Camera (19) PUR – 35.500 pts, the leader of the preliminaries, and Santiago Mercano (22) VEN – 28.600 pts.

Detailed results

The Women's Individual Trampoline competition saw Maria Reynaud (21) MEX – 32.300 pts  win her first international Gold, Nini Bulla (17) COL - took Silver with a score of 26.600 and Massiel Lebrón (18) DOM -  23.600 claimed the Bronze medal.

Detailed results

Games information

The Central American and Caribbean Games (CACGs) are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial (every 4 years), typically in the middle (even) year between Summer Olympics. The Games are for countries in Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Bermuda, and the South American countries of Surinam, Guyana, Colombia and Venezuela.

The Games are overseen by the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (CASCO) from its full Spanish name: Organización Deportiva Centroamericana y del Caribe (ODECABE). They are designed to provide a step between sub-CACG-region Games held the first year following a Summer Olympics (e.g. Central American Games) and the Continental Championships, the Pan American Games, held the year before the Summer Olympics.

More about the 2010 CACG in Mayaguez

Trampoline Coach Aldo Barborini (ARG) contributed to this article.

1st Youth Olympic Games
Singapore (SIN), August 14 – 26, 2010

SINGAPORE (SIN), July 23, 2010: The Youth Olympic Flame was lit for the first time on Friday in Ancient Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, signalling the start of a round-the-world journey, and a prelude to the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

Held at the Temple of Hera, the Youth Olympic flame was lit by reflecting sunlight using a parabolic mirror and carried by the High Priestess to the Ancient Stadium for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

At the Ancient Stadium, the Flame was then passed on to four youth torch bearers: Apostolos Koutavas (Greece), Amanda LIM Xiang Qi (Singapore), SILAS Abdul Razak (Singapore) and Nikos Tsiokos (Greece). The Flame was handed over to Mr Spyros CAPRALOS, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, who then handed it to Mr Ser Miang NG, Chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC).

Witnessing the Flame Lighting Ceremony for the first Youth Olympic Games were Dr Jacques ROGGE, President of the International Olympic Committee; Mr Spyros ZANNIAS, President of the Olympic Torch Relay Commission; Mr Georgios AIDONIS, Mayor of Ancient Olympia; Dr Vivian BALAKRISHNAN, Singapore’s Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports; Youth Olympic Games Ambassador, Ms Yelena ISINBAYEVA; and Dr Francis CHONG, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of SYOGOC.

"It is such an honour to witness the birth of a new initiative for the youth. Although the Flame Lighting Ceremony dates back more than two thousand years, the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect that the Flame represents are still relevant today. We hope that the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame will connect youth around the world to the Olympic movement, and inspire them to live by its values," said Mr Ng.

The Flame Lighting Ceremony in Ancient Olympia kicks-off the 13-day Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame to celebration cities representing five continents around the world. It then arrives in Singapore on 6 August for a traditional six-day torch relay around the island nation.

The five cities are:

1. Berlin, Germany representing Europe
2. Dakar, Senegal representing Africa
3. Mexico City, Mexico representing the Americas
4. Auckland, New Zealand representing Oceania
5. Seoul, South Korea representing Asia

At each of the celebration cities, the Flame will journey to significant city landmarks and allow as many people as possible to welcome the Flame to the continent. The day will end off with a City Celebration, where the people of the city and continent can join in the festivities to celebrate the world’s first Youth Olympic Games.
The Flame’s journey will culminate in the torch being brought to the Float@Marina Bay in Singapore, the world's largest floating stage on 14 August 2010 where it will ignite the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games cauldron as part of the Opening Ceremony, signifying the start of the Games. Once lit, the Flame will continue to burn brightly throughout the 12 days of the Games until the Closing Ceremony on 26 August 2010.

source: SYOGOC

FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup A
Wroclaw (POL), July 3 - 4, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, July 5, 2010: Dimitri Ushakov (RUS) and Anna Savkina (UZB) prevailed in the Men's and Women's Individual Trampoline Finals of the third event in the 2010 World Cup Series, held yesterday in Wroclaw, Poland. Gregoire Pennes - Sebastien Martiny (FRA) and Carina Baumgaertner - Anna Dogonadze (GER) captured the Gold medals in Men's and Women's Synchronised Trampoline.

Individual Trampoline Men

In Men's Individual, 2008 Olympic finalist Dimitri Ushakov of Russia successfully defended his title from the last edition of the Wroclaw World Cup two years ago. Qualified in second place, Ushakov prevailed over France’s Sebastien Martiny and 32 year old former World Games Champion of Belarus Mikalai Kazak. Kazak collected the 40th World Cup medal of his career (including Synchro) in Wroclaw, the first one being a Silver in 1993 in Sens (FRA).

Leader of the preliminaries Takashi Sakamoto (JPN) unfortunately failed to complete his optional in the final and placed a mere seventh ahead of the host country’s Lukasz Tomaszewski, who came in last.

1. USHAKOV Dmitry RUS 41.600
2. MARTINY Sebastien FRA 40.900
3. KAZAK Mikalai BLR 39.600

Individual Trampoline Women

19 year old Anna Savkina of Uzbekistan, 2009 World Bronze medallist in Synchronised Trampoline, won her first World Cup medal in Individual Trampoline this weekend, and it’s Gold! Tie-break rules had to be applied since qualifying round leader, the Dutch Andrea Lenders, also obtained 37.400 points. She took off the Silver, prevailing over Athens Olympic Champion Anna Dogonadze (GER), who settled for Bronze; Anna made this the 40th World Cup medal of her career overall, 18 years after she first stepped out onto a World Cup podium in 1992.

1. SAVKINA Anna UZB 37.400
2. LENDERS Andrea NED 37.400
3. DOGONADZE Anna GER 36.800

Synchronised Trampoline Men

2009 World runners-up Sebastien Martiny – Gregoire Pennes of France took the title in Men’s Synchronised Trampoline. Having qualified in fourth, the duo defeated Tomasz Adamczyk – Lukasz Tomaszewski, who made the host country proud by capturing Silver. Fernando and Orlando Gotschin, 23 year old identical twin brothers from the Netherlands, qualified in last place for this Final and made a big jump in the ranking with a Bronze win.

1. MARTINY Sebastien / PENNES Gregoire FRA 49.000
2. ADAMCZYK Tomasz / TOMASZEWSKI Łukasz POL 48.500
3. GOTSCHIN Fernando / GOTSCHIN Orlando NED 48.000

Synchronised Trampoline Women

The winners of the Women's Synchronised Trampoline competition were Carina Baumgaertner-Anna Dogonadze of Germany. In a depleted field, the other medallists failed to complete their routines as Ekaterina Mironova-Tatiana Petrenia (BLR) claimed the Silver medal, and Galina Goncharenko-Anna Ivanova (RUS) secured the Bronze.

1. DOGONADZE Anna / BAUMGAERTNER Carina GER 44.700
2. MIRONAVA Katsiaryna / PIATRENIA Tatsiana BLR 31.500
3. GONCHARENKO Galina / IVANOVA Anna RUS 4.700

Check out detailed reports and photos at Acrobatic Sports!

The next stopover of the World Cup circuit in Trampoline Gymnastics will be in Albacete (ESP) on September 3 - 4, followed by Astrakhan (RUS) and Loule (POR), also in September.

FIG Level 1 Academy for Trampoline Gymnastics
Barquismeto (VEN), June 12 – 19, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, June 30, 2010: Venezuela hosted the 7th Academy for Trampoline Gymnastics in Barquisimeto (VEN) during the second middle of June. This Academy was conducted specifically for the Spanish speaking countries of the Americas. The attendance of the coaches from the Spanish speaking federations of the Pan American Gymnastics Union (PAGU) was partially funded by the FIG Development Fund for PAGU.

Trampoline Academies cover all of the competitive events that are included under the FIG Trampoline competitions: Trampoline, Double Mini-trampoline, and Tumbling.

This Academy was attended by 18 coaches from nine different federations: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.

The course leader was Nikolay Makarov (RUS) who is President of the Russian Trampoline Federation, Vice-president of the FIG Trampoline Technical Committee and a member of the Academy Working Group for Trampoline Gymnastics. He was accompanied by Miguel Vicente of Spain who taught some of the trampoline and theory lectures, tumbling expert Sergio Galvez of the USA, and Lilia Ortiz López of Mexico who taught most of the theory lectures and has served as an FIG expert at a number of FIG Academies for Artistic Gymnastics.

The highest results over the practical and theoretical examinations were achieved by Juan Carlos JORDÁ of Argentina followed closely by Rodolfo RANGEL of Brazil.

Special thanks must go to the Venezuela Gymnastics Federation for hosting this Academy with a very high standard especially after having had to postpone it from last year. Thanks also to the team of assistants and to the gymnasts who worked diligently every day to help make this Academy a success.

Trampoline Gymnastics will have a number of other Academies during 2010: A level 1 Academy in South Africa (October 6-14) and the first level 3 Academy in Switzerland (December 10-17).

 

FIG Trampoline Gymnastics World Cup A
Wroclaw (POL), July 3 - 4, 2010

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, June 30, 2010: Wroclaw is making ready its Orbita Hall to welcome international Trampoline’s elite for the third FIG World Cup of the year, July 3 – 4, 2010, in one of Europe’s most modern sports arenas. Apparatus will be supplied by Eurotramp and Spieth Gymnastic.

The city hosted its premiere international Trampoline event in 2006, followed by a second competition in 2007. In 2008, the tournament was held under the FIG World Cup label for the first time, featuring a category A competition in Trampoline and category B for Tumbling.

This year, 56 gymnasts hailing from 13 different countries are making their way to Poland to compete in Men’s and Women’s Individual as well as Synchronised Trampoline. A Tumbling competition will not take place in Wroclaw this season.

Spectators can look forward to high-level competitions with the participation of 2008 title holders in both Synchro events and medallists from the recent World Championships, as well as the current World Cup circuit.

Host Poland entered two Men’s Synchro Pairs, featuring local gymnast from Wroclaw Tomasz Adamczyk and his partner Lukasz Tomaszewski, who qualified for the Finals at the 2009 World Championships in St Petersburg.

Click here for the complete roster!

Programme
(all times GMT+1)

Saturday, July 3, 2010
13:00 Qualifications Individual Trampoline M + W
18:00 Qualifications Synchronised Trampoline M + W

Sunday, July 4, 2010
13:00 Finals Women Synchronised Trampoline
13:15 Finals Men Synchronised Trampoline
13:30 Finals Women Individual Trampoline
13:45 Finals Men Individual Trampoline

2008 Title Holders
Men’s Individual – USHAKOV Dmitry (RUS) – 40.200
Women’s Individual – KARAVAEVA Irina (RUS) – 38.100
Men’s Synchronised – GANCHINO Diogo / MERINO Nuno (POR) – 49.000
Women’s Synchronised – PETRENIA Tatiana / MIRANOVA Ekaterina (BLR) – 48.000

The event will be televised by Acrobatic Sports, and Internet live streaming will be available. For more information go to: http://www.wroclawcup.pl.

On a side note: After 1995 and 2000, Wroclaw is hosting the Acrobatic Gymnastics World Championships for the third time, July 16 – 18, 2010. The event will also be held at Orbita Hall.

The next stopover of the World Cup circuit in Trampoline Gymnastics will be in Albacete (ESP) on September 3 - 4, followed by Astrakhan (RUS) and Loule (POR), also in September.

IOC announces the Young Reporters for the Youth Olympic Games
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) today announced the list of the 29 Young Reporters who will be participating in the Young Reporters Programme for Singapore 2010 taking place between 14 and 26 August.

The Young Reporters were selected by the Continental Associations of National Olympic Committees through a rigorous selection process. Representing each of the five continents, they are between the ages of 18 and 24 and are journalism students or have recently started their journalism career.

This initiative, developed as part of the Culture and Education Programme (CEP), will provide the budding reporters with a cross-platform journalist-training programme and on-the-job experience during the Youth Olympic Games.  The programme will encourage the Young Reporters to blog about Youth Olympic Games topics from their own regions in the run-up and during the first Youth Olympic Games.

The training and assignments during Games time will be driven by highly qualified and renowned professionals in the fields of broadcast and print journalism, social media and photography.  Worldwide TOP Partner Acer will also be providing the Young Reporters with a limited-edition laptop to support them in their assignments.
 
IOC Executive Director Gilbert Felli said, “The Young Reporters programme will allow future journalists to gain an Olympic experience with the chance to understand first-hand how media operates in an Olympic environment. The training sessions, provided by top professionals, will provide great mentoring to these young people, who are eager to participate in this first edition of the Youth Olympic Games.”

“It will be an exciting time for these young reporters,” added Kevan Gosper, Chairman of the IOC Press Commission. “Singapore gives them a unique opportunity to widen their reporting skills and to enhance the coverage of the Youth Olympic Games in their own and other countries.  The Young Reporters Training Programme will cover the traditional streams of newspaper, broadcast and photo journalism, as well as the challenges of using New Media to widen their audiences.”

The Culture and Education Programme aims to educate, engage and influence young people in sport and the Olympic values, inspiring them to play an active role in their communities. The programme also gives advice on careers in sport, social responsibilities and other lifestyle choices.

A list of the Young Reporters follows:

Continent	First name	Family name	Age	M/F	Country
Africa	Diacounda	SENE	23	F	Senegal
Africa	Ellina	MHLANGA	23	F	Zimbabwe
Africa	Jawahar Lall (Krishna)	ATHAL	23	M	Mauritius
Africa	Marwan Adbelwahab	ALI KHATTAB	24	M	Egypt
Americas	Alan Miguel Alston	HARRIS	23	M	Barbados
Americas	Emily	RIDLINGTON	23	F	Canada
Americas	Natalia	SASSO	22	F	Chile
Americas	Arnel	DALMEDO	21	M	Uruguay
Asia	Natthavuj	PAIKAEW	23	M	Thailand
Asia	Hissa Nasser	AL-NASSR	22	F	Qatar
Asia	Sonali	PRASAD	19	F	India / Singapore
Asia	Yung-Shan (Sandy)	CHEN	19	F	Chinese Taipei
Europe	Ben	FRIDMAN	24	M	Israel
Europe	Raitis	PURINS	23	M	Latvia
Europe	Elodie	GUEGAN	23	F	France
Europe	Iuliia	VYNOKUROVA	22	F	Ukraine
Oceania	Rashneel Kumar	MADHUR	21	M	Fiji
Oceania	Luke Mark	DUFFICY	22	M	Australia
Oceania	Deffnie	THOMPSON	20	F	Vanuatu
Oceania	Rolynda	JONATHAN	23	F	Palau
Singapore	Fabian	NG YONG KIAT	22	M	Singapore
Singapore	Thiam Peng	TAN	24	M	Singapore
Singapore	Jingjia (May)	CHEN	23	F	Singapore
Singapore	See Kit	TANG	23	F	Singapore
Singapore	Dai Lin	ONG	24	F	Singapore
Innsbruck 2012	Daniel	GRUBER	18	M	Austria
Nanjing 2014	Ye	JI	23	M	China
IOC	Nick	OLIVIER	24	M	USA
IOC	Kimiya	Shokoohi	21	F	Canada

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Date of introduction

LAUSANNE (SUI), FIG Office, June 14, 2010: As reported in March 2010, the FIG introduced “time of flight” as an additional objective criteria in Individual Trampoline judging.

The proposal made by the FIG Trampoline Technical Committee was ratified by the Executive Committee and the FIG Council in May 2010 at their meetings in Chiba (JPN), and the respective changes were made to the Code of Points. Contrary to previous information, the criteria will not be introduced on September 1, 2010, but on January 1, 2011.

Extract of the FIG Council Official News published on May 15, 2010:

“Also formalised was the concept of flight time, which will be factored into the scoring system for Trampoline competitions. The measure will come into force on January 1, 2011.”